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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/25569208">Little Blue</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Killer_Queen_of_Rhapsody/pseuds/Killer_Queen_of_Rhapsody'>Killer_Queen_of_Rhapsody</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Megamind (2010)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Battle, Betrayal, Evil Plans, Family, Fluff and Angst, Multi, Secrets, Villains team up</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-07-28</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-10-07</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-05 02:15:34</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Mature</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>21</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>78,558</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/25569208</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Killer_Queen_of_Rhapsody/pseuds/Killer_Queen_of_Rhapsody</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Megamind and Roxanne become parents and promise to keep their innocent daughter safe from the world, even if it means hiding the truth from her. However, this promise backfires onto them in ways that they couldn't possibly imagine...</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Megamind &amp; Original Child Character(s), Megamind/Roxanne Ritchi, Metro Man/Original Character(s), Titan &amp; Original Child Character</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>9</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>38</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. The Defender of Metro City</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <em>Hi guys! This is my first EVER fanfic story (woohoo!), and I am super excited to be writing this! </em>
</p><p>
  <em>Ever since re-discovering this masterpiece of a movie, I have been thinking about how life would play out after the events of the movie for our favourite blue hero if he had his own family. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>For this story I plan for it to be a long one, so I really hope you guys enjoy reading this as much as I enjoyed writing it! </em>
</p><p>
  <em>Anyway, fasten your seat belts and lets go for a ride! P.S. Please don't copy this story to another site!</em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <strong>Chapter 1 – The Defender of Metro City </strong>
</p><p>He still couldn't believe it! He had defeated Tighten, saved the day, and got the girl of his dreams. It seemed as though his father was right about him – he was destined for … greatness! Yes! It was greatness, he was sure of it! Six months after defeating his own creation, Megamind found himself standing behind a white brick wall. The crowd behind the wall were cheering for him, for the hero. Somewhere in the distance, he heard the brain bots hovering above as they carried building materials, and began to reconstruct the Metro City tower. Even though Megamind had been a supervillain for years, he was never as destructive as Tighten was within days.</p><p>He was glad to find that despite all his villainy, Megamind had been cleared of all 88 life sentences, and acquitted over the 'murder' of Metro Man. However, the mayor of Metro City didn't let all of his villainy be swept under the rug, and it was decided that Megamind would be given a life sentence of serving the people of Metro City as the new hero, which he didn't mind one bit. Roxanne had also played her part in helping Megamind, for she had cleverly fabricated a story of how Hal had gained his powers. As a result, no further questions were asked. There seemed to be some perks to being a well-known nosy reporter.</p><p>Megamind waited patiently as he waited for the queue to bust through the wall and greet his new fans. Before the ceremony, he had asked Minion to hit him to make sure that this wasn't just one massive dream, and Megamind was pleased to find that this was reality and not some sort of sick twisted dream that his giant blue head had concocted. A small man that was standing by the brick wall and held out three fingers to Megamind. "Ok, Sir. They're ready for you in three, two –"</p><p>Megamind rolled his eyes with a smile and whipped out his de-gun effortlessly. He directed at the wall and heard the gun buzz as he pulled the trigger. The wall exploded and he waltzed through to view his adoring crowd. He was excited to see their faces light up with happiness, but he was far more excited to see someone else's face in particular. "Alright, put your hands in the air!" Megamind smiled and was greeted by the roar of the crowd. He made a witty joke about handing over their wallets. <em>'Old habits die hard, right?'</em> He thought to himself.</p><p>Moments later he was greeted with a soft weight crashing into him and he embraced his girl with happiness. Roxanne then happily draped Metro Man's white cape over him and looked into his brilliant green eyes. "You know, you look pretty good in white." She commented.</p><p>Megamind simply wiggled his eyebrows at her and that devilish smirk of his grew on his face. "And you look pretty good in blue, Miss Ritchie." Megamind murmured to her. Roxanne's cheeks blushed a bright red, and she tucked a stray bang behind her ear. <em>'In fact, you'd look pretty good without that little blue dress.'</em> A little dirty thought popped into Megamind's head.</p><p>For ten years, Megamind and Roxanne Ritchie had been subtly flirting during her frequent kidnappings, but now the flirting had stepped up on multiple levels. There was no hiding their feelings for one another now, they were way past that. Deep down Megamind knew that he had always liked the nosy reporter, but he was never prepared to openly admit his feelings to anybody, let alone himself. Ever since he had actually started to get to know Roxanne under the alias of Bernard, his attraction for her continued to grow, and it was clear that Roxanne was growing to like the blue man during their close times.</p><p>Since the defeat of Tighten, their closeness continued to grow. Roxanne would visit Megamind in his secret lair and spend hours with him, and he too would visit her in her apartment. She would cook him dinners and treat him to movie nights at her place. Roxanne had quickly discovered that he was a softy for rom-coms and had a taste for what he called 'pop it corn'. Never had Roxanne Ritchie imagined the former supervillain to have a sweet spot for romantic movies and snacks of deliciousness, and she concluded that the blue alien was never truly destined for the life of villainy and was driven towards that path by factors that she did not know about. When the two of them were at Megamind's lair, he would show her his inventions and would get her to play with the brain bots by throwing them a few wrenches. Megamind reassured Roxanne many times that he had programmed the brain bots to view her as a friend and not a foe.</p><p>On occasions he would take her out for a spin on the repaired hover bike through Metro City and the pair would sit on the dock at night and stargaze for a few hours. Megamind remembered back to a night when he had taken Roxanne out into the countryside and stargazed on a lush green hill. They had laid on their backs whilst holding hands and simply gazed at the stars that twinkled in the night. "Do you see that set of stars over there?" Megamind murmured to Roxanne, as he pointed a blue finger into the sky at a set of stars that mimicked an hourglass. Roxanne nodded in reply. "That is the Orion constellation, named after the hunter, Orion, in Greek Mythology. You can see this constellation anywhere in the world." Megamind said.</p><p>Roxanne's eyes widened, clearly impressed with her blue man. "Wow, that's amazing!"</p><p>"Oh! And see that one way over there?" Megamind reached over Roxanne and showed her the constellation that looked like a stickman falling through the sky. As he showed her, he put part of his body over her as he pointed to the stars. He could feel the warmth radiate form her being, and it made his heart sing. "That constellation is called Andromeda. Its named after the princess Andromeda who was chained to a rock to be eaten by the sea monster Cetus. She was rescued by Poseidon's son, Perseus."</p><p>Roxanne turned her head and smiled to the handsome genius. "Megamind, I never knew that you knew so much about the stars and Greek mythology."</p><p>Megamind hummed back at her, as he drew his finger and brushed back her brunette hair. "I pay great attention to all things that are beautiful in nature, Miss Ritchie. And I find Andromeda the most beautiful constellation in the sky." His brilliant green eyes stared into Roxanne's blue sky ones, and he saw the constellation sparkle in her eyes reflection.</p><p>"Andromeda. What a pretty name it is." Roxanne whispered with an absent mind. Megamind then saw a light whizz in her eyes, and Roxanne sat up suddenly and pointed to the sky, one of her pale hands rested on Megamind's bare blue hands as she stared up. "Megamind, look! A shooting star! Make a wish quickly!" She spoke with haste in her sweet tone.</p><p>Megamind looked up into the sky and cuddled his nosy reporter as the star crossed the sky. "Okay, I wish for –"</p><p>Roxanne hastily placed a soft finger on Megamind's lips to quiet him. His green eyes crossed over and focused on her finger. "Don't say it out loud, or else it won't come true!" Her finger removed itself, and she quickly realised how close she had got to Megamind. Their faces were mere inches apart, and she could smell the cologne he had worn on their dinner date when he was disguised as Bernard. <em>'Jean Paul Gaultier's perfume? Not only has this blue genius got the looks, but he also has taste.'</em> Roxanne thought in her head.</p><p>"Then these lips shall stay sealed." Megamind's voice deepened with intimacy, as his green eyes locked onto her. Roxanne's eyes focused on his lips, and she felt her body instinctively move towards the former supervillain. Both of their heads went fuzzy, and before they knew it, their lips gently caressed each other. Megamind's hand gently held onto her warm cheek, as the pair shared a long and passionate kiss.</p><p>Ever since that night, Roxanne and Megamind had found it difficult to keep their hands of off each other. Even Minion had to comment that the lovebirds were extremely close. Megamind's thoughts drifted away as his head was brought back to the present day. Roxanne stood proudly next to him as the mayor asked him to cut the ribbon of the new Megamind Museum. "Megamind if you, ah!" the short stubby man ran away as Megamind swiftly turned on his heels and pointed his de-gun at the ribbon. As the ribbon was severed, the large blue curtain fell to the ground and revealed a massive statue of himself, as he held the world in one hand. Megamind gazed at the statue of his image and smiled. <em>'I could get used to seeing myself all the time.'</em> His egotistical side reared its giant blue head. Once the museum had been opened by the former villain, the mayor stepped forward and spoke to the crowd. "Ladies and gentlemen, Megamind the Defender of Metro City!" What followed that statement was a loud roar of happiness from the crowd.</p><p> </p><p>XXX</p><p> </p><p>Night had fallen on such a glorious day, and Megamind found himself back in his lair preparing himself for an even more glorious night. Tonight was an important one, and he knew that he had to look his best for everyone. "Should I wear the black or the white, Minion?" Megamind asked his best friend, as he was changing behind the curtain that the brain bots were holding up for him.</p><p>"Definitely the white, Sir." Minion smiled at the curtain. Minion then passed a white suit to the brain bots and ordered them to give it to their 'daddy'. They happily bowged and attended to him. Behind the curtain, Minion could hear one of the brain bots shining his head and applying a tap of blush. The curtain flew up into the air and Minion gaped in awe as he saw Megamind dressed in a completely white tuxedo with black shoes and a black bow tie.</p><p>Megamind brushed down his dapper looking suit and looked to his friend. "How do I look, Minion?" He wondered as he adjusted his bow tie to comfort and brought the collar up.</p><p>"Disgustingly horrif –" Minion stopped in his tracks and smiled nervously. "Handsome, Sir."</p><p>Megamind smiled back at him and patted his friend on the robotic shoulder. "Ah you fantastic fish, you! You always know what to say."</p><p>"I'm sure Miss Ritchie will be impressed by you." Minion smiled, as he put on his own bow tie.</p><p>Megamind smirked and let out an evil sounding chuckle. "I'm sure she will be, Minion, I'm sure she will be."</p><p>Minion grabbed the keys to the invisible car and pressed the button to open the vehicle. "Come on, Sir, we have a party to crash!" The alien fish enthusiastically jumped into the car and started the engine. Megamind rushed around the front and hopped into the passenger seat. The pair of them laughed in excitement as Minion put the car into drive while Megamind played a mix tape of his favourite rock and roll songs and let them boom loudly. Megamind looked behind and saw a small swarm of blue brain bots follow the car from behind.</p><p>As the car exited the lair, Megamind smiled at the song being played. He hadn't heard the song in a long time and began to sing. <em>"… You say you wanna go for a spin, the party's just begun, we'll let you in. You drive us wild, we'll drive you crazy. You keep on shoutin', you keep on shoutin'"</em> Megamind gazed at Minion and nudged him in the side. "Come on, Minion! Sing the chorus!"</p><p>Minion smiled and looked to his best friend. <em>"I wanna rock and roll all night…"</em> Minion began.</p><p><em>"</em><em>… AND PARTY EVERYDAY!"</em> Both of the aliens matched their tunes and rocked out to the famous Kiss song. <em>"I wanna rock and roll all night, and party everyday!"</em></p><p>Minutes of hardcore partying in the invisible car had passed, and Minion had parked the car right in front of Metro City Hall. Megamind's face lit up as he faced Minion. "Queue the brain bots, Minion!" Minion reached out to grab a large remote and pressed a big red button. Outside of the car, the brain bots released blue smoke and performed beautiful illusions that involved lasers and other awesome looking lights. As the brain bots worked their magic, Minion had let the car speakers boom to the outside world and play <em>'Hammer to Fall'</em> by Queen. <em>'I may not be the bad guy now, but I still know how to put on a damn good show!'</em> He thought to himself with a smirk creeping on his face.</p><p>Megamind quickly opened the car door and presented himself to the eager crowd who desired to catch a glimpse of the former supervillain. The roar of the crowd at the city hall was deafening, but Megamind indulged in the pleasure of people screaming his name and cheering for him. After many handshakes and receiving endless compliments from strangers, Megamind had entered the city hall and waltzed into the large ballroom. There he was met with an echo of clapping and people dressed in formal wears gently tapping champagne glasses with teaspoons. He gave the privileged crowd a friendly wave and cracked a joke about crashing his own party. Megamind scanned the ballroom and saw someone that he thought he would never lay eyes on again. He quickly walked up to the tall figure who was dressed in a plaid suit and had a messy complexion, and gently punched him in the arm. "Hello there, old friend. I suppose you couldn't resist but to show up for one more performance?" Megamind joked.</p><p>The man formerly known as Metro Man gave Megamind a smile that could cut through butter with ease. "Huh, I'm here for you, little buddy. I just wanted to say well done on defeating Tighten and saving the city." Metro Man handed Megamind a glass of champagne and then scratched the back of his neck and looked nervous. "And there's something I've been meaning to say for a while now." The former superhero spoke. Megamind looked concerned for a moment but let Metro Man continue on. "I want to apologise for making your life a misery all those years ago. I've gotta admit I was a spoiled brat when we were kids, and I guess that I wanted to be the best at everything and have all the attention. Looking back on everything, it showed me that the hero does create the villain, and that is what I did to you. I'm sorry for doing that to you. I really hope that you can forgive me." Metro Man's face was full of remorse, and Megamind had never seen such a sincere side to the invulnerable man.</p><p>It was clear to Megamind that every word said was from the heart. Megamind placed a slender hand on Metro Man's bicep and stared deeply into his blue eyes. "I accept your apology, <em>Metro Mahn. </em>Besides, kids say and do stupid things all the time." Megamind smiled.</p><p>"Metro Man is now a distant memory for both myself and this city. Please, call me Wayne." Wayne said with a small smile.</p><p>Megamind placed a hand on his hips. "Alright then, Wayne." He then lifted his champagne glass. "To Wayne, and to <em>Metrocity!"</em> Megamind proclaimed.</p><p>Wayne gave a cheesy grin and glared into Megamind's green eyes. "To Megamind, the Defender of Metro City." The former rivals clinked their glasses and took a quick sip of the champagne.</p><p>The sound of a pair of heels was heard, and both Wayne and Megamind turned around to find the one and only Miss Roxanne Ritchie dressed in a beautiful sleeveless low cut silver dress that draped all the way to her feet, and had a slit up the side of her right leg. She wore sparkling red heels, silver jewellery and had makeup that brightened up her already beautiful face. She was a vision of absolute loveliness. Megamind stood in awe and gaped at her as if he were a child during Christmas time. <em>'Have I died and gone to heaven, and am I lucky enough to view a living and breathing goddess in the flesh!?'</em> Megamind through to himself. "Wow! You look so…" Megamind couldn't find the words to express how he felt in that very moment. Roxanne blushed as Megamind gaped in awe of her.</p><p>"Lovely, as always, Roxie." Wayne stepped in and kissed her lightly on the cheek. Megamind could feel his cheeks warm up in jealousy. Roxanne smiled back at Wayne. "Thank you. I see that you two have kissed and made up for your years of rivalry." Roxanne smirked as she took a sip of her champagne.</p><p>Megamind looked at his lady love with a weird expression. "Kissed and made up!?" He spoke, clearly confused from the saying.</p><p>Wayne scratched the back of his head again. "Ugh yeah, you could put it that way. Thanks for the invite to the ball by the way, Roxie." Wayne spoke with gratitude.</p><p>Roxanne smiled at the former hero. "Your welcome."</p><p>Megamind gazed at Wayne curiously. "Roxanne invited you?" he wondered.</p><p>Before anyone could speak, a young woman's voice shouted out at Roxanne and quickly walked up to the small gathering. "Oh there you are! I've been looking everywhere for you." The woman spoke with a sweet voice.</p><p>"Vida!" Roxanne kissed the woman on both cheeks and greeted her warmly. Roxanne jumped back for a moment and looked at the woman named Vida strangely. "Ouch, you gave me a shock!"</p><p>Vida tucked a loose strand of her long platinum blonde hair behind her ear. "Sorry. I have that effect on people."</p><p>Roxanne then turned back to the two aliens and introduced them to the woman named Vida. "Vida, this is Megamind as you well know, and this is Mr Wayne Scott, an old friend." Roxanne said. "Boys, this is my best friend, Miss Vida McCleod. We've known each other since we were kids." Roxanne clarified.</p><p>"Pleased to meet you, Miss <em>McCleeoood.</em>" Megamind tipped his head and raised his glass to her whilst pronouncing her name in his own strange way. Wayne simply stood dumbstruck and stared at Vida as if something were wrong with her.</p><p>Vida was just as beautiful as Roxanne. She had long platinum blonde hair that reached down to her lower back, had blue eyes and had an hourglass figure that was accentuated by a long sky blue dress that kept her arms covered up. Vida turned back to Roxanne and spoke to her briefly. "Roxie, I've just spoken to the mayor. He says the dance will begin any minute now, we just need our leading man." She hinted of Megamind's presence.</p><p>Roxanne giggled momentarily at her friend. "Tell him that our hero will be there shortly." Roxanne then grabbed onto Wayne's jacket sleeve and dragged him into Vida's direction. "And while you're here take Wayne with you, he'll need a dancing partner for the night." Wayne opened his mouth to protest but was stopped as he lightly bumped into the petite blonde and was held by the hand. As Vida and Wayne walked together, Roxanne turned her attentions to her blue hero. Her eyelids grew heavy as she gazed at him with a huge hint of flirtatiousness. "So?" She began in a tempting voice. "How do I look?" She smirked.</p><p>Megamind mirrored her facial expression and gently grabbed her free hand. "I can't even begin to describe how you look, Miss Ritchie."</p><p>Roxanne let out a small giggle and etched closer to Megamind's face. "Perhaps you'll find the words later tonight, Mr Defender-of-Metro-City." Her smirk became extremely flirtatious. God if she were going to give him those looks all night, Megamind wasn't sure if he'd be able to keep his hands off of her. Her soft hands ran over the collar of Megamind's tuxedo and came to rest on his chest. "I've said it before, and I'll say it again: you look good in white."</p><p>Megamind's face etched ever closer to Roxanne's and his tone grew deep. "If I am not mistaken, I'd say that you're flirting with me. You know what that sort of behaviour does to me –"</p><p>Megamind turned his head to where a voice was coming from. "Ladies and gentlemen, please prepare for the first dance of night." The voice of the mayor echoed through the microphone.</p><p>Megamind slowly turned his head back to nosy reporter and teased her by moving his lips close to hers. "Temptress."</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>To be continued... If you liked this, please leave a review and follow! xxx</em>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. A Night to Remember</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <em>Hello again! Here's the next chapter, enjoy :)</em>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>Chapter 2 – A Night to Remember</strong>
</p>
<p>The Defender of Metro City walked into the middle of the ballroom with his girl by side. Never had Megamind felt so happy with himself, and without a doubt this was the best night of his life. All eyes were on him and Roxanne, and he loved every moment of it. As Megamind stood in the middle of the ballroom with Roxanne, he put a hand on her waist, while the other clasped into her own hand. Roxanne gently placed her other hand over Megamind's shoulder, and she gazed into his eyes. Waltz music began to play and Megamind gently guided Roxanne around the ballroom. To her pleasant surprise, she found that Megamind was good on his feet as he gracefully danced around the room with her. Roxanne wasn't the only one surprised by his moves, for much of the crowd whispered to each other and noted how well Megamind could dance with a partner in tow. Roxanne felt like a fool as she continued to step on Megamind's shoes, but she looked up into his green eyes and he didn't seem to care one bit, he was happy with the way she was. As the music continued to play, other couples began to join the dance.</p>
<p>"I never would've taken you as a dancer, Megamind." Roxanne murmured in his ear as they continued to dance together.</p>
<p>Megamind smirked and placed his mouth to her ear. "Is that a compliment I hear escape your lips, Miss Ritchie?" He smirked wickedly.</p>
<p>Roxanne's eyelids fluttered as he spoke. "Perhaps." Her mouth leaned in close to his ear and she whispered to him. "Perhaps I can't help myself but to throw compliments at the new Defender of Metro City." Megamind simply smiled at his girl as the pair danced into the night.</p>
<p>Minutes of dancing together had passed, and other dancers whirled around the couple, but Megamind and Roxanne felt as though they had the ballroom to themselves. No one else in the world mattered but them. A thought quickly popped into the blue genius' head as he thought about two particular people that were invited to the ball. "Roxanne?" Megamind began as he kept his mouth near her ear. "How did you manage to invite Wayne to this ball without people asking too many questions?" He wondered.</p>
<p>Roxanne accidentally stepped on Megamind's foot again and looked into his brilliant green eyes and smiled. "Let's just say that being a 'nosy reporter' has its perks." Megamind gave her a look as if to say that he didn't believe her. Roxanne sighed as if she had been caught red-handed. "Okay, okay. I just said that Wayne is an old childhood friend of yours, which isn't entirely a lie." She justified.</p>
<p>Megamind smirked at her answer. Not only was this woman beautiful and intelligent, she was also resourceful and could pull a few strings where she needed to. "Speaking of childhood friends, tell me about Miss <em>McCleeood.</em> You've never mentioned her before."</p>
<p>Roxanne looked at Megamind slightly perplexed. "You mean Vida?" Roxanne then smiled at the blue man. "And her last name is pronounced as McCleod. I've never found the opportunity to tell you about her. Mainly because you have been kidnapping me for years and your sole focus was to defeat Metro Man."</p>
<p>"Hmm, fair point."</p>
<p>Roxanne continued to look at Megamind as they danced together. "I've known Vida since we were both in middle school. We did everything together – we studied to together, were in the same clubs, and we hung out at each other's houses every weekend. Our university years were the toughest times for us, she went away to Boston to train as a schoolteacher, while I stayed in Metro City and studied to become a journalist. By the time she had returned to Metro City, I was an intern at KMCP 8 News, and she took up a job at Metro City Elementary School. She's been working as a teacher there ever since she graduated from Boston. With our lives being so busy, it's been hard to catch up as much as we would like to, but we know that no matter what, we will always be there for each other."</p>
<p>Megamind tilted his head to the side and gave her a warm smile. "Like me and Minion?"</p>
<p>Roxanne smiled back at her beau. "Yeah, I guess so."</p>
<p>Megamind and Roxanne continued to dance to the tune of the waltz, and Roxanne began to ease into the movements more. She leaned her head into his blue neck, and he felt her soft short hair tickle him slightly. Megamind lifted his chin and saw his best friend Minion speaking to the Warden happily as they held champagne glasses. Near them was his former rival speaking to Roxanne's childhood friend. The pair of them seemed to be engaged in a deep conversation that caused them to smile at each other shyly and laugh at each other's words. "It seems that our childhood friends are hitting it off well." Megamind turned Roxanne around to show her the pair.</p>
<p>"Very well." Roxanne replied with a hint of happiness.</p>
<p>Megamind then leaned towards Roxanne's ear and spoke. "And it seems that your dancing has improved already. You're a quick learner." For minutes, Roxanne had avoided stepping on her hero's feet, but when Megamind mentioned her dancing, she accidentally stood on him again.</p>
<p>"Oops, I think you jinxed me, blue boy." Roxanne's toned was one of playfulness and seduction. She then leaned in and whispered into his ear. Her breath tickled his ear lobe and a small shiver ran through his body. "Maybe later tonight you can show me your dance moves. I might learn a trick or two from my new hero." A smirk grew on her face. God she was a flirt!</p>
<p>Megamind involuntarily growled at her statement. "Now, now, Roxanne." He leaned into her ear again and then made her lean backwards as he held her securely. "You don't want me to tear off that pretty silver dress of yours just yet." A smile creeped up onto his face and Roxanne glared into his large eyes with desire as a shiver ran down her spine. He then hoisted her back up and they kept on dancing. Roxanne could not help herself but to laugh into his shoulder. Megamind was glad that the people in the ballroom only thought that the pair were enjoying themselves as they laughed. He was thankful that no one could hear the intimate conversation that was taking place.</p>
<p>An hour had passed, and the waltz had turned into a party of the ages. Every ball guest danced to classic songs that ranged from<em> 'Staying Alive' </em>by the Bee Gees, <em>'Footloose' </em>by Kenny Loggins, <em>'Girls Just Wanna Have Fun' </em>by Cyndi Lauper and <em>'Thriller' </em>by Michael Jackson. Megamind looked around and saw Minion and the Warden with their arms around one another happily, as they danced and sang to the catchy music. Megamind also noted the glasses full of champagne that they had in their hands were being spilled all over the dancefloor and all over the other intoxicated ball guests. <em>'They're as drunk as a skunk! Their heads will be killing them tomorrow morning. I better call them a taxi later.'</em> Megamind thought to himself. Never had he seen his best friend and his earthly father figure so close together. Across the room, Megamind saw Wayne and Vida McCleod dance together, holding hands and doing little twirls. Wayne truly looked happy for the first time in a long time, and Megamind was happy for him.</p>
<p>A deep and sultry voice echoed overhead and Megamind heard the stunning voice of the late Barry White singing<em> 'You're the First, My Last, My Everything'.</em> Megamind had been dancing wildly with Roxanne all night, and her cheeks were a rosy red and her skin was moist. Megamind had never experienced such fun in his life, and he felt as if he could get high on these sorts of events all the time. However, he was getting tired from all the fun and he could tell Roxanne was beginning to feel the same. He leaned into her ear and shouted against the loud music. "When do you want to leave?" he asked her.</p>
<p>Roxanne leaned into his ear and shouted. "I'm ready when you are, blue boy." She smiled at him. "Are you up for showing me your other dance moves?" Roxanne flirted with him.</p>
<p>Megamind didn't need telling twice and took Roxanne's hand into his own and dragged her out of the crowd of dancers. He knew that the guests wouldn't notice his or Roxanne's absence and he headed towards the exit doors and tried to run with his girl. Roxanne tried to follow him from behind as quickly as her red high heels would let her. Megamind looked at one of the doormen who was dressed in complete back and asked for his car keys and requested for them to call a taxi for Minion and the Warden to drop them off at Roxanne's apartment. Roxanne then entrusted one of her apartment keys to the doorman so they could give it to either Minion or the Warden when they were ready to leave.</p>
<p>The air outside was a cool and refreshing relief, as the city hall had become a sauna full of intoxicated people. Megamind and Roxanne breathed sighs of relief. "My God! The City Hall heats up so quick with loads of people inside!" Roxanne commented.</p>
<p>"Yeah! At least we are out of there now!" Megamind then clicked the car key and unlocked the invisible car. "Meanwhile, let's get back to the lair and relax." Megamind then opened the passenger door for Roxanne and gestured for her to enter the car. "After you, my lady." Megamind gave her a flirtatious smirk.</p>
<p>"And they say chivalry is dead." Roxanne murmured as she sat in the car. Megamind whizzed around the front of the car and eagerly jumped into the driver's seat. He put the keys in the ignition and heard the car come to life with a roar. He then began to play his mix tape and put it onto a particular song that he felt was appropriate for the night – <em>'American Woman' </em>by The Guess Who. The catchy guitar chords of the song played, and Megamind kicked the car into drive and sped off into the night with the invisibility mode activated.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>XXX</p>
<p> </p>
<p>The pair reached the lair and parked the car inside. The moment Megamind had turned off the ignition and got out of the car, he was met with a swarm of brain bots who wanted to play with him. Megamind looked at them with excitement and stroked a few on their glass heads. "Did you miss your daddy? Did you miss your daddy?" Megamind then heard Roxanne step out of the car, and the brain bots attentions immediately focused on her. They all swarmed her and cornered her against the car. Naturally, Roxanne yelped with fright as these little bots had once been enemies towards her. Megamind immediately moved to Roxanne and stood in front of her protectively. He waved an index finger at the brain bots and began to tell them off. "No, no, no. No biting. You do not harm, Miss Ritchie, she is daddy's friend." One of the brain bots didn't seem to listen, and Megamind noticed that it was one of his pink coloured brain bots that began to bowg loudly at Roxanne. "Pinky, no!" The little brain bot still didn't seem to listen to their daddy, and Megamind knew that he had to put his foot down with the bot and he pointed his finger at it. "Pinky! Listen to daddy! Or do you want me to deactivate you for the night?" He threatened the little bot. Pinky backed away and retreated to somewhere quiet in the lair. Megamind smiled back at his blue pets and walked towards a table that had at least seven wrenches on it. "Now, who wants the wrench!?" Megamind grabbed a wrench and tossed it far down. "Go get the wrench!" All the brain bots raced for the wrench and Pinky decided to skulk away into the darkness for the night.</p>
<p>"I'm sorry about her. She's always been protective of me." Megamind commented.</p>
<p><em>"She?"</em> Roxanne smiled at her blue man. "I can understand her, she reminds me of how protective my dad is of me. I would feel the same way if I were in her shoes." Roxanne tucked a stray bang behind her ear and she became somewhat shy.</p>
<p>Megamind wrapped an arm around Roxanne's curvy waist and guided her away from the invisible car and towards his living quarters. "She was the first brain bot I ever created when I started out as a villain all those years ago. Since I've created the other brain bots, she's become a good leader amongst them, but she still holds a soft spot for her daddy. She already finds it difficult to share the attention with the other brain bots, but just give her some time to warm up to you."</p>
<p>Roxanne smiled as they walked into the living quarters. "And if she doesn't?"</p>
<p>Megamind smirked wickedly. "Then I'll program her to like you."</p>
<p>"Hmm, I'm sure I can win her affections eventually."</p>
<p>Megamind clutched onto Roxanne's waist and dragged her towards him, a smile grew on his face that was full of intent and his eyelids grew heavy. "I don't think your tricks would work on her like they have worked so well on me."</p>
<p>Roxanne's lips ghosted over her blue mans and then backed away as she spoke. "Watch me."</p>
<p>Megamind let out a small growl and pressed Roxanne's body to his own with hunger. "With pleasure … Temptress!"</p>
<p>Megamind and Roxanne burst through his bedroom door as they passionately kissed each other and clumsily made their way to the bed. Roxanne undid Megamind's white tuxedo jacket and carelessly tossed it onto the ground, and her hands quickly went to work on his black bow tie. Once that was undone, Megamind hoisted his girl up into his arms, and her legs wrapped around his waist. Megamind's hands instinctively moved up her thighs, and he was thankful that the slit in her silver dress provided him with easy asses to her right thigh. While in his arms, Roxanne began to undo the buttons on his shirt.</p>
<p>They stopped at the end of the bed, and Megamind put her back down. Their kisses continued and their tongues danced wildly together. Megamind's hand slowly ran up Roxanne's right thigh and he heard her sigh with desire. His blue hand stopped at her waist and he felt her thin silky underwear. He curled his fingers around it and tugged at her side with lust. "I need you, Roxanne." He murmured over her lips.</p>
<p>Roxanne undid the rest of the buttons on Megamind's shirt and slid it off of his body with ease. To her surprise, Megamind had some muscle definition despite his slender body. She then moved her hands to his belt and began to undo it as quickly as she could. Meanwhile, Megamind's hands decided to pay attention to Roxanne's upper body and slid his hands up her curves, letting his fingers lightly touch the sides of her breasts. He then reached behind her neck and undid the clasp that held her dress together. Megamind's brilliant green eyes widened with desire as he watched the silver dress fall to the floor and pool at her feet. He was more than pleased to find that Roxanne was not wearing a bra, and his eyes locked onto her chest.</p>
<p>She stepped out from her dress and little red shoes and stalked towards her blue beau in an enticing manner, clearly wanting to seduce him even more. She grabbed his buttocks and crashed his body into hers. "I think it's time to show me those move you've got, mister." Roxanne then began to undo his white pants, and in one swift move dropped them down to the floor, accompanied by his boxers. Megamind clumsily stepped out of his pants and began to undo his shoes and take off his socks. Roxanne giggled at the sight.</p>
<p>No matter the situation, Megamind had always seemed to be clumsy. Roxanne remembered the last time that he acted like this was when she was last kidnapped, and she had blown a spider towards his face. His facial expression was priceless … just before Minion had hit him without a thought. Moments before the spider incident, one of his little brain bots had bitten his hand and caused him to scream in pain like a girl. Roxanne internally laughed at how clumsy this blue man could be in front of her.</p>
<p>Roxanne's thoughts of Megamind's clumsiness were snuffed out, as Megamind gently pushed Roxanne onto the black and blue bed quilt and he quickly followed her down and hovered over her body. The two of them resumed their passionate kissing and Megamind's hands rested on Roxanne's underwear. "Megamind –"</p>
<p>"I know!" He interrupted her as they continued to kiss. His hands then began to bring her underwear down, and he encouraged her to lift her hips up so he could remove the fabric that stopped him reaching what he desired. With ease, Roxanne's underwear slipped off, and Megamind tossed them somewhere to the side.</p>
<p>Megamind moved his body so he resided in between her legs, and he moved up a little so his face was directly above hers. He gazed into her blue eyes and could see the lust in them. "Are you ready?" He asked her gently.</p>
<p>Roxanne's breaths increased and she looked back at him. "Yes. But let's take it slowly." She murmured. "I want this to be special." Megamind blinked at her oddly but realised what her words truly meant.</p>
<p>They had only starting dating ever since he had defeated Tighten six months ago, and the most intimate the two of them had ever been was when they had shared passionate kisses at each other's places, and touched each other's sweet spots through their clothes. What they were about to do was a major step for both of them. Of course, Roxanne had been in relationships in the past, but Megamind had never experienced the joys of having a significant other and being intimate with them. In ways, Megamind was super nervous to join himself with Roxanne, but at the same time it felt so natural for him to do so. He had kidnapped this nosy reporter multiple times over the course of ten years, and over time he grew to deeply care for her. No, fall in love with her!</p>
<p><em>"This is bad! This is bad! You've fallen in love with her!"</em> Minion's words echoed in his mind, as he smiled at the strong and confident woman who lay beneath him, ready to take their relationship to new and exciting heights. If Minion once considered his affections for Roxanne as bad, Megamind thought that it was wickedly good for the greater bad. "Roxanne –" Megamind breathed her name as their lips touched once again.</p>
<p>Roxanne quickly cupped her pale hands onto his warm blue face and gazed into his eyes with affection he had never seen before. "Say nothing. Show me." Without another word, Megamind positioned himself and the two of them united as one.</p>
<p>An hour had passed, and Megamind and Roxanne lay in bed with the sheets covering their naked forms. Both of them breathed calmly and Roxanne's fingers traced over his blue chest in a circling fashion. Megamind could feel his eyelids grow heavy, and he let a high pitched hum vibrate in his throat. <em>'If this is what heaven is like, I'll never get enough of it.'</em> He thought to himself. He let out a satisfied sigh before speaking. "Wow! Roxanne, that was –"</p>
<p>"Yeah … wow." She breathed back as her fingers continued swirling around.</p>
<p>Megamind turned his head to hers and smiled into her soft brunette hair. "Shall we say that my dance moves blew your mind?" He joked.</p>
<p>Roxanne laughed heartily as she wrapped her arms around her lover. "To say that you've never had practice beforehand, I am impressed by you." One of Roxanne's finger stroked the edge of Megamind's defined jawline and gave him a beaming smile.</p>
<p>Megamind arched an eyebrow in a cocky fashion and kept his focus on Roxanne's eyes. "Well, what can I say?" He began. "I am the incredibly handsome criminal genius and master of all villainy!"</p>
<p>Roxanne tapped his chin with her finger. "<em>Former.</em> You are the good guy now: you saved the day, you flew off into the sunset, and you definitely got the girl."</p>
<p>Megamind chuckled and rubbed his nose against her with affection and grabbed her hand that had caressed his jawline. "I did. You gotta admit that for a moment I made being bad look good." He then wrapped both of his arms around Roxanne and brought her body closer to his. "But I've found that being good definitely has better perks." The couple then kissed each other slowly, and Megamind's hand cupped one of her cheeks lovingly. "I get to lay in bed with the one and only Roxanne Ritchie, the nosy reporter, my temptress, and the woman that I lov-" He quickly stopped himself, and his eyes went wide and he let go of Roxanne's body and shuffled away from her.</p>
<p>Roxanne looked at him with saddened blue eyes as he backed away from her. "That you what?" She murmured. "Megamind?"</p>
<p>Megamind shook his head and turned his head away. "Forget about it –"</p>
<p>Roxanne sat up, keeping the black and blue sheets close to her bare chest. "You love me, is that it?" He didn't answer her. She sighed and stroked his blue arm gently. "Megamind –"</p>
<p>"No!" He then seemed to choke on his words that were to be made into something understandable. "I mean … ugh, how can I explain this to you?" He spoke with some frustration as he turned his head to her. Roxanne kept herself silent as she waited for him to speak. She studied his face and found that it was full of heartfelt emotion that mirrored what he looked like when she dumped him alone in the rain after their dinner date.</p>
<p>"I've been kidnapping you for ten years. I did it for fun, and to get back at Metro Man for the hard times he put me through. But every time I'd kidnap you, I slowly got to know you and we got comfortable with each other, even to the point that we subtly started to flirt with each other despite the fact that you were my victim. The last ever time that I kidnapped you, I felt like my body was tingling with excitement, I felt like I couldn't contain it! I tried to look my best for you and fixed my eyebrows and had one of my brain bots on my lap as I patted them." Megamind took in a big breath and continued. "When I thought that I killed Metro Man, I felt so … <em>mel-on-cholly</em> for a time, and I started listening to your news reports every night. I couldn't help myself but to listen to your voice, it was as if you were guiding me to something. A-and that's when I bumped into you at the Metro Man Museum when I disguised myself as Bernard. When we started spending time together in my disguise, I felt myself growing closer to you and I could feel you getting closer to me – I was getting to know the lady behind the news reporter while you were getting to know the man behind the villain, the beauty within the beast. I had never felt so happy to be with someone. The way you would look at me with those blue eyes would enchant me." Roxanne remained quiet as he continued with his epic speech. "I didn't truly know that you had enchanted me until Minion had said so. <em>'You're falling in love with her!'</em> he said to me." Megamind then sat up in the bed suddenly and looked at Roxanne. "He was right! I had fallen in love with you …" His voice became quiet as he breathed his next sentence. "… I am in love with you."</p>
<p>Roxanne felt her breath hitch in her throat and her eyes became watery. She grabbed onto his hand and rubbed her thumb gently across his hand. "Megamind." She murmured.</p>
<p>The blue man gently caressed her rosy cheek with his free hand, and he could feel her warming up. The pair of them laid back onto the soft bed, and Megamind hovered over Roxanne. "I love you, Roxanne Ritchie, and I never wish to be apart from you. You are my life, and I wish for you to be mine forever."</p>
<p>Roxanne began to sob happily, and she wiped her tears away with the back of her hand. She smiled at him as her nose sniffled. "I am your life?" She wondered. Her eyes quickly went wide as she had just processed the last part of his sentence. "Wait, what are you trying to say, Megamind?"</p>
<p>Megamind smiled as he continued to hold onto her warm cheek. "Let me make it clear to you." He murmured to her. "Code: marry me."</p>
<p>Roxanne felt her heart skip a beat and then run a million miles an hour. Those two little words made her feel like she was on cloud nine. "Nothing else would make me happier than to be with you, Megamind. I love you too."</p>
<p>Megamind beamed a wide smile. "S-so .." He stammered.</p>
<p>Roxanne whispered her answer and gazed into his brilliant green eyes with adoration. "Code: yes."</p>
<p>
  <em>To be continued...</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>If you like this, please leave a review and follow :) xxx</em>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Something Blue</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <em>Hello again! Here's the next chapter to this story for you to indulge in. Enjoy! xxx</em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <strong>Chapter 3 – Something Blue</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <em>Eight months later:</em>
</p>
<p><em>"Good morning, Metro City. Today is the most anticipated day of the year for our proud city, and the weather looks like it will hold out nicely for the occasion…"</em> Roxanne stared at the television as her fellow colleague spoke live about her big day. As she watched the TV, Roxanne could feel her maid of honour, Vida putting the finishing touches to her white wedding dress. <em>"…This is Anastasia Lewis reporting live for the wedding of our hero, Megamind and my good friend and colleague, Miss Roxanne Ritchie." </em>The young reporter smiled through the television.</p>
<p>The television then focused back on a person in the studio who smiled. <em>"Thank you, Anastasia. Stay tuned to KMCP 8 News for full coverage of the wedding of the century."</em></p>
<p>Vida giggled momentarily. "She's as good as you are, Roxie." She continued to fiddle with parts of Roxanne's dress.</p>
<p>"She learned from the best!" Roxanne blew her own trumpet. "Plus, she begged Megamind and I to televise our wedding."</p>
<p>Vida brushed down Roxanne's dress and admired it from a distance. "Wow, you look so beautiful! God knows what Megamind will think!"</p>
<p>Roxanne's dress was long and slim that hugged her waist. The sleeves consisted of lace that reached down to her elbows and hung off her shoulders. A long veil that draped behind her dress finished her gown off perfectly, accompanied by a pearl necklace and earrings. Roxanne sighed quickly and turned to her friend, who wore a long-sleeved lilac dress that draped to her shins. "I hope Ana is right about the weather."</p>
<p>Vida stood in front of her best friend and spoke. "Oh, don't worry, it'll be fine for your outdoor wedding."</p>
<p>"Hmm that's sweet, Vida." Roxanne then touched Vida's bare hand and felt as if she had received a small static shock. "Ouch! Vida that keeps happening to us."</p>
<p>"Oh sorry. I guess you could call me shocking." Vida looked at her friend with humour.</p>
<p>Roxanne laughed heartily. "That was terrible!"</p>
<p>The most anticipated wedding of the year went off without a hitch. Roxanne had her father walk her down the aisle and give her away to her blue man. Megamind stood proudly at the end of the aisle in a black tuxedo that had a dark blue bow tie, while his best man Minion stood with a blue bow tie. Roxanne could see that Megamind was struggling to contain his emotions and looked up into the sky blinking rapidly as if trying not to cry with happiness. When she had made it to the end of the aisle, Megamind quickly commented that she was the most beautiful woman in the universe, while she commented in a more relaxed manner that he scrubbed up nicely in his little blue bow tie. Roxanne had quickly overheard her father say to Megamind <em>"look after my little Roxie and love her with all your heart, otherwise I'll throw you back in prison myself."</em> Roxanne saw the terror creep up in Megamind's eyes and he swallowed hard. Despite his reputation as a fearless former villain, he feared her father's words. During the outdoor ceremony, there had been spots of rain and dark clouds above, but they had somehow cleared away and the blue sky and sunshine beamed down. Roxanne looked at her best friend, and Vida gave her a look that said 'I told you the weather would be fine.'</p>
<p>The wedding reception was packed with guests consisting mainly of Roxanne's friends and family, while the rest of the guests were a small circle of Megamind's friends from prison whom he called his uncles. Megamind had ordered his brain bots to wait and serve every guest and had told them that all the guests were daddy's friends and they were not bite anyone. Once her reporting duties had been done, Anastasia Lewis had joined the party and caught up with the newlywed Roxanne and she began to talk to the other guests. Wayne was chatting with Minion, and Vida was talking to a group wedding guests that included the Mayor of Metro City. The Warden had quickly congratulated Megamind on getting married and gave him a soft and tender hug. In ways, the Warden had acted as Megamind's father figure throughout his life and had tried to guide him on the path to being good. Of course, there was only so much that a guardian could do for a child.</p>
<p>The evening had come, and Megamind and Roxanne danced their first dance together as husband and wife. Both danced in each other's arms and gazed into each other's eyes as Frank Sinatra's <em>'Witchcraft'</em> played in the background. As they danced around the room, Megamind began to sing parts of the song to his new wife. <em>"When you arouse the need in me, my heart says yes indeed in me, proceed with what you're leading me to."</em></p>
<p>Roxanne leaned her head onto Megamind's shoulder and smiled with complete love and happiness. "I never knew that my husband had such a talent for singing." She complimented him.</p>
<p>Megamind hummed near her soft ear and murmured to her. "I think that my wife will find that I am full of little surprises like that."</p>
<p>Roxanne raised an eyebrow and smirked at him. "Full of surprises? You're so predictable!" She subtly referenced herself from her last kidnapping with him.</p>
<p>"Predictable? Predictable!? If I recall correctly, I remember that I took you off guard when I asked you to marry me after we made love for the first time. Wasn't so predictable then, was I?" He gave her one of his trademark smirks and showed off his beautiful white teeth.</p>
<p>Megamind then felt a tap on his shoulder and turned around to find Roxanne's father standing tall and proud. "May I have a dance with my daughter?" he asked Megamind in a gruff tone.</p>
<p>Megamind quickly let go of Roxanne and handed her to her father. "Of course, Mr Ritchie."</p>
<p>"Mr Ritchie is what my workers call me. You are family now, call me Ethan."</p>
<p>Megamind had met the formidable Ethan Ritchie a few months before asking Roxanne to marry him. Megamind was terrified of the CEO of Ritchie Technologies Ltd from the get-go. It was clear to Megamind that the older man was fiercely protective of his only daughter, and his protectiveness reminded Megamind of how Pinky was protective of him. Ethan had told the blue man that Roxanne's mother had died when she was a teenager, and that he felt obligated to fiercely protect Roxanne and her older brother, Michael no matter what. Naturally when Roxanne was being kidnapped by her now-husband, it made Ethan's blood boil and loathe Megamind, but since becoming the somewhat reluctant good guy, Megamind had proven himself worthy in Ethan's eyes that he would protect her with his life, defeating Tighten had only solidified it.</p>
<p>As Roxanne danced with her father, Megamind sat in a chair and lovingly gazed at his wife. He didn't even realise that Pinky hovered near him, and she bowged to make herself known. Megamind allowed for her to sit in his lap and he stroked her glass top<em>. 'Pinky, you soft little brain bot.'</em> He thought to himself<em>.</em> In the corner of his eye, he saw Vida McCleod talking to Wayne nervously and they both seemed like they wanted to join in on the dancing.</p>
<p>Minutes had passed, and Roxanne was still dancing with her father and Megamind was stroking Pinky peacefully. Megamind was pleased to see that Wayne and Vida had finally plucked up the courage to dance with each other. It was obvious that there was a spark between them, they both just needed to be brave and take a leap. In ways it surprised Megamind that Wayne was so nervous around women. After all, the women of Metro City had thrown themselves at him when he was Metro Man, and he seemed to relish in their affections. With Vida he seemed to act so different; he seemed to stumble over his words and his voice wasn't as smooth as it usually was when he spoke. Had this pretty blonde woman cast a spell on him, or was he starting to fall for someone who would accept him as a supposedly normal person? Whatever it was, Megamind was happy for Wayne in this very moment. Megamind looked around the wedding reception and saw everyone smiling with happiness. Today was perfect, and Megamind had never felt so happy in his life; he had married the woman of his dreams and everyone he cared about had witnessed this life-changing moment. Could his life get any better than this? Apparently it could!</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em>11 months later:</em>
</p>
<p>Leaves of an orange colour blew through Metro City Park and danced in the wind. Young children rode their bikes on the footpaths, while others played with frisbees and flew kites in the sky. Megamind and Roxanne found themselves sitting on a picnic tablecloth and had plates full of sandwiches next to them. Roxanne leaned into her husband as she read the local newspaper with keenness, while he cuddled her lovingly from behind. "Look at this, you're on the front page of this morning's paper." Roxanne spoke with excitement.</p>
<p>Megamind smiled as he kissed Roxanne's cheek with affection. "Of course I am."</p>
<p>She then read the words printed on the paper: <em>"Megamind Victorious Over Doom Syndicate. Metro City's new hero, Megamind recently brought a group of villains named the Doom Syndicate to justice…" </em>Roxanne then read another paragraph. <em>"The Doom Syndicate came to be known to the public after they began to terrorise the citizens of Metro City and its leader, Psycho Delic had kidnapped Miss Vida McCleod and had held her hostage for three days. However, Megamind had managed to save Metro City and the elementary school teacher from the Doom Syndicate's clutches and placed Psycho Delic behind bars. The leader currently resides in Metro City Prison where the former villain, Tighten is also currently being held. The other members of the Doom Syndicate were named as Hot Flash, the Destruction Worker and Lady Doppler. Hot Flash and the Destruction Worker have been incarcerated in two maximum security prisons across America however, Lady Doppler's whereabouts are unknown. Megamind is confident that she will not return after the fall of the Doom Syndicate." </em>Roxanne looked back at her husband curiously. "What makes you think that Lady Doppler won't return to Metro City?" She asked.</p>
<p>Megamind smirked at her and wiggled his black eyebrows at her. "She doesn't have Psycho Delic to boss her around anymore. She closely followed his lead."</p>
<p>Roxanne sighed and rested into his body. "I guess so. I'm just glad that Vida is okay. She's still shaken up from being kidnapped by the Doom Syndicate and had to take time off from school. Wayne was going out of his mind when they had her. For a moment I swore that he was going to become Metro Man again just to save her. I'm only glad that you managed to save her in time and Wayne didn't blow his cover."</p>
<p>Since the wedding, Wayne and Vida had grown tremendously close and had seen each other every weekend. Roxanne had received texts from her best friend saying that Wayne was taking her out to dinner in the city, and that he had played the guitar for her and written a song for her. Both Megamind and Roxanne immediately cringed at the thought of Wayne's terrible singing voice, and how Vida would be able to listen to him sing. They were both glad that they had stopped Wayne from getting up on the stage at their wedding and sing a few songs.</p>
<p>Megamind smiled awkwardly into the blue sky above. "Yeah, me too." Megamind then shifted his weight and cuddled Roxanne again. "I'm only glad that the Doom Syndicate didn't kidnap you. You were always mine to kidnap." He smiled against her ear and Roxanne hummed in agreement. "And besides, you wouldn't be the only reason that I'd have to win against evil. I have another<em> little</em> reason to win." Megamind then placed a bare blue hand over Roxanne's growing belly and caressed it with love.</p>
<p>Roxanne hummed with happiness as she placed the newspaper down and placed both of her hands over Megamind's. "He or she will be so lucky to have you as a father."</p>
<p>He still couldn't believe his luck! He was going to be a father! He thought that having children would've been impossible with Roxanne, but the little miracle that grew within her had proved everyone wrong. It looked like Megamind's genetics were remarkably similar to being human, even though his species had lived in galaxy's far away from earth. Megamind knew that he was the last member of his species, but he was happy to know that a part of him and his people would live on through his child. He already knew that he would fiercely protect this child with all his might and would guide them on the path of goodness. Megamind remembered the day that Roxanne had told him that she was pregnant. At first, he was shocked and then elated, and then he remembered that he had ended up on the floor of the lair as he had fainted. Thankfully, Minion was around at the time and helped Megamind to get up and stand on his own two feet.</p>
<p>As they had reached the three-month mark, Roxanne and Megamind had gone to a scan, and that's when they saw their child for the first time and heard the sound of its little heartbeat on the monitor. What stood out for Megamind immediately on the scan was the child's large head that it possessed. It was as clear as day that the baby would resemble their father strongly and would more than likely possess their father's skin tone.</p>
<p>Roxanne turned her head around to face Megamind and gave him a deep and passionate kiss, as they kept their hands on her large belly. Roxanne gazed into Megamind's brilliant green eyes and smiled. "We don't have long to go until we meet our little one now. We only have three weeks."</p>
<p>Megamind lifted his body up and sat next to Roxanne, who now propped herself onto her hands. He beamed a smile at his wife and placed both of his hands on both sides of her growing belly. "I can't wait! They will be the cutest little genius in <em>Metrocity</em>, I know it!" Megamind smiled at Roxanne's bump and rubbed it gently.</p>
<p>"This baby already has their daddy wrapped around their little finger." Roxanne smirked at Megamind.</p>
<p>"And I wouldn't have it any other way." Megamind then felt a small kick erupt from Roxanne's belly, and his mouth opened in awe. Megamind gasped. "Did you feel that!?" He spoke with excitement as he looked into Roxanne's blue eyes. Roxanne simply laughed and placed a hand onto one of Megamind's. The blue man hummed and placed his ear to Roxanne's belly and spoke. "Now, listen carefully to Daddy." He told Roxanne's bump. "I will do everything in my power to protect you from the evils of this world and from anyone who dares to try and harm you. I will not let you have a terrible childhood like I had and be cast aside as if you mean nothing. I want you to do well in <em>shool</em>. I want you to be kind to people, make lots of friends and have exciting adventures with them!" Megamind then stared seriously at Roxanne's bump as he kept his hands gently placed on the sides. "Now I'm going to tell you something that my own daddy told me when I was little. You are destined for…" Megamind looked idly into space as he thought about the memory. "Well I didn't quite get to hear the last part as my pod flew off before the planet was destroyed, but I'm certain that he said I'd be destined for greatness." He then turned his attentions back to the bump. "And if my daddy said that, then as your father I will tell you the same thing: Little Blue, you are destined for greatness."</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em>To be continued...</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>If you're liking this story, be sure to review and follow xxx</em>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. A Fairly Standard Childhood</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <em>Hi everyone! </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>Before I begin, I just want to shout out to WhiteWolf1284. Thank you for your lovely comment about my story, it really made my day :)</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>Anyway, here's the next chapter, I hope you enjoy it xxx</em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <strong>Chapter 4 – A Fairly Standard Childhood</strong>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Life for everyone that was close to Megamind had changed within a single day, as a small child entered the world screaming at the top of its lungs. The child was born at the city hospital via C-section and was as healthy as could be. Megamind and Roxanne were delighted to finally hold their precious bundle and take them home to adore forever. </p>
<p>Megamind couldn’t take his eyes off of his little blue girl as she slept peacefully in her crib as Minnie Riperton’s <em>‘Lovin You’</em> softly played in the background. He was still amazed that she was here and that she was his very own flesh and blood. He sighed and reached out his index finger to touch her blue hand, he placed his finger into her palm and watched as she automatically wrapped her hand around his finger. Roxanne soon came over and gave Megamind a sweet kiss on his giant blue head, and she gazed at the sleeping girl. “She’s perfect.” Roxanne murmured.</p>
<p>Megamind didn’t take his eyes off of his daughter and beamed a smile at her. “Gaia Andromeda Ritchie, you are too perfect.” He spoke her full name. As Roxanne had kept her maiden name upon her marriage, it was agreed that Gaia would also share her mother’s name. Her first name bore the meaning of life and earth, while her middle name, Andromeda was for one of the stars her parents had stargazed at one night.</p>
<p>Megamind and Roxanne watched as little Gaia wriggled her arms and legs as she opened her eyes and stared at her parents with a toothless smile. Gaia had inherited not only her father’s large head and blue skin, but also his brilliant green eyes. The only trait that she visibly shared with her mother at that point in time was that she had tufts of brunette hair on her head. “Are you staring at me with those big green eyes of yours?” Roxanne stroked her daughter’s cheek and watched as the infant beamed an even larger smile than before.</p>
<p>Megamind leaned into Roxanne and hummed peacefully. “I still can’t believe that she is all mine! My Little Blue!”</p>
<p>Roxanne ran a hand over his arms lovingly and murmured near his ear. “Well believe it, Meg. She’s living proof.” Gaia made small gurgling noises and wiggled her little body around. Megamind then turned his face to Roxanne and became serious, and Roxanne let go of him. “What’s wrong?” She wondered.</p>
<p>Megamind sighed and rounded his slim shoulders. “I meant what I said about protecting her –“</p>
<p>“And I don’t doubt you for a second, Megamind.” Roxanne reassured him.</p>
<p>Megamind clutched onto her hands quickly. “No, listen.” He told her calmly. “There are things that we cannot tell her when she grows up. She can’t know about my past as a criminal genius and how I ‘killed’ Metro Man. I want her to see me as the hero who saved her mother from Tighten, the hero who saved Vida from Psycho Delic and the Doom Syndicate –“</p>
<p>“You can’t lie to her, Meg! She deserves to know the truth!” Roxanne sounded irritated.</p>
<p>Megamind put his hands up defensively. “I wouldn’t be lying to her exactly; I’d just be skipping out parts that won’t concern her.”                                              </p>
<p>Roxanne shook her head seemingly lost for words. “And what about Wayne? What will you say about him!?”</p>
<p>Megamind laughed off Roxanne. “Again, I would just be skipping out parts that she doesn’t need to know about.” Roxanne sighed at a loss and placed a hand on her cheek. “We just have to get Wayne to promise not to tell Gaia about his powers and his past. Vida must promise the same thing since she knows about Wayne now.” Megamind spoke. Megamind remembered the day when Wayne had confessed to Vida about his true identity as Metro Man. At first, Vida was shocked to the core, but once Wayne had explained his story to her, she sympathised with him and promised that she wouldn’t tell a soul. “All Gaia needs to know is that Wayne is her mother and father’s friend and that he is a normal person. He can never use his powers in front of her. Ever!” Megamind sighed and looked back to his little girl, who continued to wriggle her body around in her crib. “I just want to protect her from all the bad in the world.”</p>
<p>“Bowg, bowg, bowg, bowg.” Megamind and Roxanne turned around to see Pinky and her ‘daughters’ Violet, Pearl and Indigo staring at little Gaia with their giant red eyes. In Pinky’s only hand was a glowing blue object that had a low humming sound. Gaia’s face then looked at the brain bot with confusion, and then she began to cry loudly. Pinky and her daughters looked at the infant with confusion and then looked back and forth at Megamind and Roxanne, as if to say ‘what did we do?’.</p>
<p>“Girls, you’re scaring her!” Roxanne complained to the pink brain bots.</p>
<p>Megamind then opened his hand and gestured for the pink brain bot to give him the strange object. “Give it to me, Pinky.”</p>
<p>The brain bot seemed to bowg in a bored tone and handed him the object. Pinky then seemed to glare daggers at Roxanne before she left the nursery with the three other brain bots. Once the brain bots had left, Gaia stopped crying. Roxanne shook her head. “She’ll never get used to me. She thinks that I’ve stolen her daddy. God knows if she’ll ever get used to Gaia.”</p>
<p>Megamind placed a reassuring hand around his wife’s waist. “She will in time, Roxanne. I know it’s been nearly two years, but Pinky will give in and accept you. All the other brain bots love you.” He smiled.</p>
<p>“Except her.” Roxanne then turned her head and focused on the blue object in Megamind’s hand. “What’s this?”</p>
<p>Megamind smiled as he gave the object to Gaia, who happily took it and sucked it happily. “It’s called a binky, I made it for her. I had one of these when I was a baby and it helped me in so many ways when I crash landed in <em>Metrocity</em>.”</p>
<p>Months had flown by, and Gaia had already accomplished many milestones which surprised Roxanne. By three weeks of age, she could recall her first memories of being cuddled by her Uncle Minion and supposedly normal Uncle Wayne. At three months old she could already crawl around the lair. Naturally, a crawling baby became a hazard in the lair as she started to find Megamind’s machinery and play with all the buttons and levers that she could reach. Four weeks after learning to crawl, she could stand up on her own and walk a few steps. When she was six months old Gaia had already said her first word, and Megamind was pleased to hear that her first word was Daddy. By the time she was one year old, she could speak in short sentences, count to ten and say all the letters of the alphabet. Megamind had reassured Roxanne that these milestones were to be expected as Gaia was half-human and half-alien. After all, she was no ordinary child and possessed amazing intellect.</p>
<p>By the time she was two, the Warden had made a surprise visit to Megamind’s lair and had bought Gaia a gift. The little blue girl greeted the aging man with a hug and was lifted into the air and spun around. “Grandpa Warden.” Gaia yelled with happiness. Megamind and Roxanne watched on as the pair smiled and embraced each other.</p>
<p>The Warden laughed happily and put the girl down. “How’s my favourite little blue child? Have you been a good girl?” He asked her.</p>
<p>Gaia put her hands behind her back and looked up at her ‘grandpa’ and smiled shyly. “Yes, Grandpa.”</p>
<p>He knelt down on one knee and looked into her brilliant green eyes. “I brought you a present.”</p>
<p>Gaia giggled and jumped up and down on the spot. “A puppy?” She wondered.</p>
<p>The Warden laughed. “Something better than a puppy.” He then ordered for the prison officers he had brought with him to bring something into the lair and set it on the cold ground.</p>
<p>Megamind gasped as he couldn’t believe what he was seeing. “That’s not my –“</p>
<p>“It is.” The Warden smiled at Megamind in a friendly manner.</p>
<p>Megamind then touched the metal fondly. “You kept it after all these years? My old tricycle!” Megamind then knelt down and touched the tricycle made out of car licence plates fondly. He had made this all by himself when he was barely a toddler and attempted to break out of prison with it. Of course, a much younger Warden had stopped the little boy from escaping.</p>
<p>Over the course of a few weeks, Gaia was happily riding around on Megamind’s childhood bike and had been taken to Metro City Park by Wayne and Vida who babysat her for a few hours while Megamind was fighting crime and Roxanne was busy at the news station. Gaia was far too busy riding on her father’s old bike to notice that Wayne and Vida snuggled next to each on the park bench and pecking each other on the lips.</p>
<p>One afternoon in the lair, Megamind stood up in a hunched over posture and was dressed in a rubber suit and protective mask, as he made small repairs to his giant spider bot. Next to him was Pinky who floated in mid-air and watched her daddy do his work. Metal sparks flew everywhere, and his welding machine sizzled as it made the repairs needed to the machine. As he stopped to observe the new welding, he heard a large group of brain bots bowging in the lair and his daughter giggling in a high pitch. He spun around and saw little Gaia swinging back and forth as she held onto one of the pink brain bots that flew her around the lair. “Gaia, no!” Roxanne’s voice was heard as she tried to chase after the brain bots. Gaia simply giggled loudly as she flew across the room and held onto the pink brain bot. As she flew across the lair, her feet had kicked over objects that ranged from simple mechanical tools to flasks containing corrosive liquids that burst into flames. Megamind gasped and dropped his welding tools and joined Roxanne in the chase. Gaia continued to giggle as she was spun around by the brain bot. Her little feet then caught themselves on a large looking gun that had some sort of golden substance inside of it. Pinky bowged loudly and flashed through the air and caught the large gun in time before it hit the floor.</p>
<p>“Brain bots!” Megamind yelled. All the brain bots immediately stopped in their tracks and looked at Megamind. Gaia looked at her father with a goofy smile as if nothing were wrong, as she held onto the pink brain bot. “Enough of this! Put Gaia down.” He commanded them. Pinky bowged in a growling tone at the brain bots as if to enforce his words, and the brain bots all dissipated in difference directions of the lair.</p>
<p>The pink brain bot that still held onto Gaia remained behind. “Indigo, put Gaia down now.” Roxanne commanded this time.</p>
<p>“But Mommy, Indy and I are playing –“ Gaia said.</p>
<p>“Now, Indy!” Roxanne pointed her finger to the ground. The brain bot named Indigo gently placed Gaia on the ground with her two mechanical hands and whizzed away as if knowing that she was in trouble.</p>
<p>Gaia sat on the floor with her legs spread and she pouted in disappointment. “No fair!”</p>
<p>Roxanne placed her arms on her hips as she spoke to her daughter. “Gaia that was naughty of you. You’re not supposed to be in here when your daddy’s working! And where’s your Uncle Minion? He was supposed to look after you.”</p>
<p>Minion finally skulked around the corner in a guilty fashion and laughed nervously. “H-here. Sorry, Roxanne. I sort of took a nap for a little while.”</p>
<p>Roxanne sighed and placed a hand on her forehead. “Next time I will get Wayne and Vida to look after her! They seem to have her under better control.” After some harsh words, Gaia was taken out of the lair by Minion and into the living quarters, kicking and screaming on the way.</p>
<p>“Bowg.” Pinky hovered close to Megamind and offered the large gun with her only mechanical hand.</p>
<p>“Thank you, Pinky.” He said appreciatively.</p>
<p>Roxanne looked at the large gun and immediately recognised it. “The Defuser Gun. You need to put it somewhere safe. If Gaia gets her little hands on it, she’ll wreak even more havoc that what she’s doing already.”</p>
<p>Gaia’s rebellious toddler behaviour had slowly ceased as Wayne and Vida began to look after her on a more frequent basis, and she was slowly growing into a sweet and caring little girl. Megamind and Roxanne had come to the conclusion that Gaia was simply going through a classic toddler phase of causing mischief and pushing the boundaries to see what she could get away with. Instead of running around the place and swinging around on one of the brain bots, she now played with her cuddly toys and even got one of the pink brain bots to play with her on a frequent basis. Megamind and Roxanne saw that Gaia seemed to be attached to Indigo the most, who seemed just as equally attached and enjoyed her company. Being the mother hen that she was, Pinky looked at her ‘daughter’ and Gaia sternly and seemed to let out a disapproving ‘bowg’ whenever she passed them.</p>
<p>As the years continued to pass, Megamind continued to dote on his little girl and he even let her help repair his inventions and handle tools such as a welding machine. He quickly discovered that she had a knack for tinkering with objects that she was given and could make them into something greater. Every time that she would repair or complete something, her father would pick her up, spin her around, tell her how smart she is and say how much he loved her.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>XXX</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Morning had come one day, and Gaia sat at the kitchen bench in her pyjamas as her mother quickly poured her a splash of milk into her cereal. Roxanne looked flustered that morning as her brunette hair was messy. After dealing with Gaia, she combed her hair through her fingernails and then grabbed her handbag. Megamind waltzed into the kitchen area dreamily and gazed at Roxanne as if she were an angel. Then again, in Megamind’s green eyes she was very much an angel, especially after they had spent a beautiful night together in each other’s arms and made love the night before. “Good morning, my girls.” He spoke as he then kissed Gaia on the head.</p>
<p>Roxanne grabbed her car keys in a mad rush and looked at Megamind with a half-hearted smile. “I’m sorry, honey, I’ve gotta go now. The boss wants me down at the news station ASAP. He says it’s important.” Megamind nodded his head with understanding. Roxanne ran over to Gaia and kissed her blue cheek sweetly. “Have a good first day at school, Blue”. She then caressed Megamind’s face with both hands and looked deep into his green eyes. “I’ve put her lunch and water bottle in her bag. All you need to do is get her dressed and take her to school.”</p>
<p>“Don’t worry, I’ve got it. Now go before you’re late.”</p>
<p>Roxanne deeply kissed Megamind on his lips, and for a moment he melted into her touch. Every kiss felt like the first time. “I love you.”</p>
<p>“I love you too.” Megamind smiled. He then watched as Roxanne ran out of their home and headed for work. Megamind smirked and turned to face his daughter. “Are you excited for today, Gaia?” He asked her.</p>
<p>Gaia nodded her head enthusiastically. “I can’t wait!”</p>
<p>Megamind tipped his head to her half-eaten bowl of cereal. “Then you better hurry up, you don’t want to miss your first day!”</p>
<p>Once Gaia had finished her breakfast, Megamind had helped her get dressed into a flowery pink dress, a pink cardigan and black ballet shoes. He then brushed back her shoulder length brunette hair and tied them into little stumpy pigtails. When Gaia was ready with her schoolbag, Megamind helped her into the invisible car and strapped her in. He then hopped into the driver’s seat and started the engine. As the engine roared to life, Megamind’s mix tape began to play and the song <em>‘Born to be Wild’</em> began to play. Gaia giggled and began to dance in the passenger seat. Megamind immediately had a feeling that car rides to school with his daughter would never be a dull moment.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em>To be continued...</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>If you're liking this so far, be sure to give it a review and a kudos :) xxx</em>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. A Strange Place Called 'Shool'</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <em>Hello again! Here's the next chapter for this story. </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>I </em>
  <em>do apologize for this one being a little shorter than the others, but I hope you enjoy it all the same :)</em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <strong>Chapter 5 – A Strange Place Called ‘<em>Shool’</em></strong>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>The drive into the city was an easy one despite the city being in the middle of heavy rush hour traffic. Megamind had cleverly used the invisibility mode on the car and easily drove around civilian cars to get to where he needed to be in time. He was not keen on being responsible for Gaia being late to her first day of school, as Roxanne would be bitterly disappointed with him.</p>
<p>Megamind took off the invisibility mode and parked the car outside of Metro City Elementary School. Gaia put both of her hands on the window and gazed at the large buildings. She watched as children with backpacks walked into the school grounds and said goodbye to their parents.</p>
<p>Megamind watched her curiously and wondered what she thought about the school. “Blue, are you okay?” He placed a hand onto her back.</p>
<p>Gaia turned back to her father and she had a nervous expression on her face. “Is this where I go to learn new things, Daddy?”</p>
<p>Megamind smiled at her with reassurance. “Yes. This is a strange place, but I’m sure you’ll be fine. Come on, I’ll walk you in.”</p>
<p>Megamind and Gaia hopped out of the car, and Megamind took her by the hand and walked her into the school grounds. Gaia looked around nervously at the other children, as they looked at her strangely. One group of girls that were the same age as Gaia pointed and giggled at her they walked past, and Gaia immediately felt insecure about herself. Even though she was a five-year-old girl, she had never interacted with anyone her own age, and only knew her family and a few adult acquaintances. This was the first time that she was about to interact with other children, and it made her feel a little uneasy.</p>
<p>Gaia gulped and looked to the ground. Megamind picked up on this and knelt to face her. He cupped her face gently and rubbed his thumb of her blushed cheek. “What’s wrong? You can tell Daddy.” He reassured her.</p>
<p>Gaia flicked her eyes around before she spoke. “Those girls that walked past us laughed at me, and I don’t know anyone here!” She pouted her lips together.</p>
<p>Megamind smiled and tried to brighten her spirits. “They’re just jealous of you, you know why?” Gaia shook her head. “Because you are the Defender of <em>Metrocity’s </em>daughter, and you’re so much smarter than what they are or ever will be. And one day you will take over from me and be the new Defender of <em>Metrocity!”</em></p>
<p>Gaia seemed to cheer up immediately and a smile began to spread on her face. “Really!?”</p>
<p>Megamind nodded his head. “Really. No one else would be better than you.” He then reached into his hidden pocket and revealed a small box. “I got you a present for your first day of <em>shool." </em>Gaia’s eyes lit up and she snatched the box from her father’s grip and opened it up. Gaia reached in found a black watch inside. “It’s your own watch. It doesn’t just tell the time; it has a communicator in it and allows you to disguise yourself if you’re in trouble. Oh, and it also has a tracker on it so I can find you.” Megamind smiled as he helped her put the watch on her wrist.</p>
<p>Gaia glanced back and forth at the watch and her father and simply said “cool!”</p>
<p>Megamind’s face dreamily looked at little Gaia, and then someone caught his attention. “And you <em>do</em> know someone here, Gaia, look over there!” Megamind pointed his gloved index finger to a blonde woman walking out of the main building of the school.</p>
<p>Gaia’s face immediately beamed, and she yelled “Aunty Vida!” She ran towards Vida and gave her legs a hug. She immediately let go as she felt tingling come from her.</p>
<p>Vida had her blonde hair tied up high and wore a matching brown suit and knee length skirt with black high heels to finish off the look. “Hello, Gaia.” She greeted the girl and then looked to her father. “Hello, Megamind.” She smiled.</p>
<p>He stood up and smiled at the blonde woman. “<em>Ollo</em>, Vida.” He smirked at her.</p>
<p>“I-It’s hello, Daddy.” Gaia corrected him with a stumble.</p>
<p>Megamind continued to smile at Vida. “I never congratulated you on becoming the new <em>shool</em> principal. You’ll do a great job.”</p>
<p>Vida had recently been promoted as the new school principal, and at 37 years of age, she was the youngest ever principal of Metro City Elementary School. Vida smiled at the ground. “Thank you.” Vida then looked down at little Gaia, whose brilliant green eyes were wide with happiness. “On another note, on school grounds I am known as Miss McCleod. And as one of my students I expect you to call me that when we are at school okay, Gaia?”</p>
<p>Gaia nodded her head quickly. “Yes, Aunty –“ She stopped herself quickly. “Yes, Miss McCleod.”</p>
<p>Vida touched her shoulder as quick as lightening and then retracted herself from the girl. “Good girl. Now, school will be starting soon. I should walk you to your classroom.”</p>
<p>“Aaand that’s my queue to go” Megamind bent down and hugged his daughter tightly. “Be a good girl, Gaia. I love you.” He murmured in her ear.</p>
<p>“I love you too, Daddy.” Megamind then kissed her multiple times on the cheek and made a mumbling noise as he did, which made Gaia giggle. He then let go of her and straightened out his black suit and cape. He then swivelled on his custom baby seal leather boots and walked towards the car confidently. “Chao, chao! Have a good day at <em>shool</em>!”</p>
<p>“It’s pronounced as school, Daddy!” Gaia corrected him.</p>
<p>Megamind carelessly grabbed the driver door and opened it wide and jumped into the car. “Potato tomato, potato tomato.”</p>
<p>The school bell had rung five minutes ago, and all the students were in class with their teachers. Gaia nervously walked through the empty school corridors with Vida until they stopped at a door. Vida knocked and entered the classroom. Gaia was surprised to see the teacher and so many children in a small classroom. Everyone stood up and looked at Gaia strangely noticing her obvious differences from them. The teacher behind the desk smiled at Vida and Gaia. “Good morning, class.” Vida spoke quickly.</p>
<p>“Good morning, Miss McCleod.” All the children spoke slowly.</p>
<p>“You may all sit down.” Vida told them nicely. “You have a new classmate joining you today. This is Gaia Ritchie and I’m sure that you’ll all make her feel welcome.” Vida then turned to Gaia and introduced her to her new teacher. “Gaia, this is your new teacher, Mrs Whelan.”</p>
<p>Gaia looked at the middle-aged woman nervously as she smiled at her. “Hello, Gaia.” Gaia remained silent as she became shy.</p>
<p>Once Vida had left the classroom, Mrs Whelan guided Gaia to an empty seat and sat her next to a curly red-haired girl. As Mrs Whelan took the attendance roll, Gaia looked around her environment nervously and took everything in. In the corner of her eye, she saw a brown-haired girl with brown eyes staring at her with a smirk, recognising her as one of the girls that giggled at her when she arrived on the school grounds. Gaia locked eyes with her, and she immediately felt uncomfortable.</p>
<p>“Sadie.” Mrs Whelan called out the roll. When the child did not answer, Mrs Whelan called out again.  All the children then turned their attention on the brown-haired girl. “Sadie Howard.” The girl named Sadie turned to face her teacher. “When I call your name, you answer me.”</p>
<p>“Yes, Mrs Whelan.” Sadie then focused her brown eyes back on Gaia. Gaia wasn’t sure why, but she already had a bad feeling about this Sadie Howard character.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>XXX</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Megamind had returned from dropping off Gaia and parked the car in the lair and was greeted by his blue brain bots. He happily greeted them with pats and throwing them a few wrenches. Minion ran towards his best friend with his hands waving everywhere in a panic. “Sir! Sir!”</p>
<p>“What is it, Minion?” Megamind wondered.</p>
<p>“You, you need to watch the news now!” Minion pointed into the direction of where the monitor was.</p>
<p>Megamind furrowed his brows. “What’s going on?” Minion didn’t even answer him and pushed him into the direction of the monitors, where Minion had already them switched on. On the screens was Roxanne, who stood outside the Megamind Museum in a white blouse and skirt and had her hair perfectly styled.  She was on live TV, and Megamind immediately sat in his leather chair to watch her speak. He had always loved to hear her present live news stories, and just loved to see her face. She was a beauty made for television. He felt one of the pink brain bots snuggle into his lap, and immediately recognised this brain bot as Violet, as she had two mechanical arms and no spikes on the top of her head.</p>
<p><em>“We are live at the Megamind Museum with Roxanne Ritchie. Now Roxanne, what can you tell us about these latest developments?”</em> The man back in the TV studio spoke to Roxanne, who nodded her head as she listened to his question nervously.</p>
<p>
  <em>“Yes, Hamish. This morning at the Metro City Courthouse came the conclusion of the villain Tighten’s criminal appeal. His lawyers have been fighting the charges against the convicted villain for six years now, as they believe that the accused was charged in court as a sane individual, when in reality he may be defined as criminally insane.”</em>
</p>
<p>“What!?” Megamind looked at Roxanne through the TV confused.</p>
<p>
  <em>“Now Roxanne, have the lawyers been able to further describe their case of insanity to the court?”</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>“They have, Hamish. Psychiatrists who have been in frequent contact with the accused had thoroughly assessed the Metro City Prison inmate and have come to the conclusion that the man was not sane during his attack on Metro City, and have diagnosed Tighten with schizophrenia and a form of obsessive compulsive disorder that focuses on persons or objects of affection. And due to this diagnosis, Tighten’s lawyers have been arguing this case in the courts to transfer the accused from prison to a psychiatric ward where he would receive ongoing care for this condition. This morning, the courts concluded that Tighten is indeed criminally insane however, his life sentences are still effective. No date has been disclosed yet but Tighten will be transferred from Metro City Prison to the Metro City Psychiatric Institute where he will receive care there. Once he has been treated and declared as sane, he will be returned to Metro City Prison to serve the rest of his sentences where he will surely reflect on his wrongdoings.”</em>
</p>
<p>“YOU’VE GOTTA BE KIDDING ME!” Megamind shouted at the TV.</p>
<p>The man named Hamish spoke. <em>“Thank you. That was Roxanne Ritchie for KMCP 8 News reporting live from the Megamind Museum.”</em> Roxanne nodded her head, and the TV now focused on Hamish back in the news studio.<em> “Join us again in a few minutes as we take you live to the Metro City Courthouse, where our reporter Anastasia Lewis will have more details about today’s court hearing.”</em></p>
<p>Megamind stared at the screens with absolute shock, and in the background, he heard Minion drop something. What on earth was going on with the world today? “No, this can’t be happening! I’ve worked too damn hard to make this city great again and put people like him behind bars for life!” Megamind spoke angrily.</p>
<p>Minion looked at the TV screens and let out a nervous laugh. “Code: what do we do, Sir?” Minion asked nervously.</p>
<p>Megamind’s face then scrunched up with anger and he ushered for Violet to move off him quickly. He swivelled on his leather chair to face Minion and pointed a gloved finger at him. “Code: get the car! We’re going to deal with this ourselves!”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em>To be continued...</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>If you're liking this story so far, remember to give it a kudos and comment :) xxx</em>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0006"><h2>6. Madness</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <em>Hello, I'm back! Here's the next chapter to this story.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>Enjoy :) xxx</em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <strong>Chapter 6 - Madness</strong>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Megamind was far too furious to drive to Metro City Prison, and insisted that Minion should drive him instead. On the drive to the prison, Megamind sat quietly in the passenger seat and muted his mixtape. Minion could tell that he was in no mood for rock songs and decided to remain silent during the drive.</p>
<p>How on earth did Hal’s lawyers manage to argue their case and be so successful? Did the villain find a loophole in the justice system and used it in his favour? Did he get his lawyers to bribe the judge and jury so that they would legally declare him as criminally insane? Did he manage to fool the psychiatrist who visited him in prison, and put on a perfect act of insanity? All these questions raced through Megamind’s giant blue head, but whatever the case, Megamind knew that Hal was perfectly sane, and he was sure that he was up to something. So much for today being a great day. Megamind wanted to remember this day as the day that his daughter started school, not the day that Hal got declared as criminally insane. He may be behind bars, but he still managed to cast a dark shadow that stretched beyond the prison walls that he was contained in.</p>
<p>The car stopped outside of the prison, and Megamind was surprised to see a white van parked in front of them with the back doors open. By the van were two people dressed in long white jackets. He hopped out of the car with Minion and the two friends gazed at the van with confusion.</p>
<p>“Megamind! Minion!” A strange voice called out to the pair. The blue man turned and saw a prison officer greet him warmly with a wave.</p>
<p>“Officer Jones.” Megamind smiled.</p>
<p>Jones took in a deep breath before he spoke. “I suppose you’re here because you heard about the news.” Jones then held up his hands before Megamind could speak. “It came as a shock to us too, believe me.” Megamind looked to the ground almost defeated.</p>
<p>“Isn’t there anything you can do?” Minion asked. Jones shook his head in reply.</p>
<p>“Where’s the Warden, I need to speak to him now!” Megamind demanded.</p>
<p>Before anyone could say anything, the front doors of the prison flung open and Megamind couldn’t believe what he was seeing. The one and only villain who dared to try and kill him was walking out of prison with two guards holding him tightly as they walked him out. “Hal <em>Schtewart!”</em> Megamind said to himself as his mouth opened with shock.</p>
<p>Hal also looked surprised to see Megamind and Minion and stopped in his tracks. Hal was tightly handcuffed and dressed in the orange prison jumpsuit that hugged his short and stubby body. He was a shell of what he was when he was Tighten, now he was only plain old Hal. The tension between the hero and villain was palpable as brown eyes met with brilliant green eyes, and Megamind could not help himself but to express anger and hatred towards Hal as he walked towards him. After all, he was the man responsible for destroying various parts of Metro City and tried to kill Roxanne, himself and other civilians all those years ago.</p>
<p>“How did you do it?” Megamind growled.</p>
<p>Hal’s brown eyes darted from side to side in confusion as he looked at the blue hero. “Wha, wha, what? What are you talking about?” He stammered.</p>
<p>“Don’t play dumb with me, Hal <em>Schtewart</em>. You’re smarter than you look, and you know what I’m talking about!” Megamind pointed a gloved finger at Hal accusingly. “You pulled some strings somewhere so you could get out of here on grounds of insanity! But I'll find a way to get you back in here where you belong!”</p>
<p>“Megamind, enough of this.” Officer Jones spoke. Hal looked at Megamind with fear and seemed to be glad that the officers were close to him. The prison officers ushered for Hal to keep moving and escorted him past an angry Megamind and dumbfounded Minion. Megamind continued to look at the red-haired man as the prison officers guided him to the white van.</p>
<p>“Megamind, you’re here.” The blue man whizzed his head around and saw the Warden dressed in a black suit with his hands behind his back.</p>
<p>Megamind walked towards his father figure and looked at him vulnerably. “Warden, please tell me that I am dreaming, and this isn’t real.”</p>
<p>The Warden placed a hand on Megamind’s slim shoulder in sympathy. “I’m afraid not. He is being transferred to the psychiatric ward now before the media frenzy arrives.”</p>
<p>Megamind growled in his throat. “Surely you can do something about this! You’re the Warden of this prison!”</p>
<p>“I don’t make the laws; I simply carry out the sentences. I serve the justice system like you do, that’s all. The courts have made their decision about Hal Stewart and as much as we don't like it, we must grin and bear it.” The Warden spoke wisely. Megamind sighed with a loss as he looked at Hal being strapped into the van tightly by the people in long white jackets. “I know it’s not what you want to hear, but it’s the truth.” Megamind turned his head back to the Warden. “Hey, listen, why don’t you come inside, and we can talk.” Megamind nodded his head absent-minded. “Minion, wanna join us?” The Warden asked the fish a few metres away.</p>
<p>Minion smiled at the Warden and waved his hands frantically. “Oh, no thanks, Warden. I’m more than happy to stay out here and talk to Officer Jones.”</p>
<p>Warden guided Megamind by the shoulders and lead him into the prison. Megamind couldn’t help himself but look back at the white van. The whole situation felt so wrong, and it ate away at Megamind. As the psychiatric ward staff members shut the back doors, Hal glared at Megamind and the blue man swore that he saw Hal watch him with darkened eyes and had an evil looking smirk grow on his face as the doors of the van shut. This. Was. Bad!</p>
<p>As the van sped off to the psychiatric ward, Megamind entered the prison with a feeling of uneasiness and guarding as he followed the Warden closely. His whole world had been flipped upside down within minutes. God knows how Roxanne felt about the whole ordeal, and she was one of the reporters that were covering the story! And what about little Gaia? She was only an innocent five-year-old child that hardly knew of Tighten’s villainy. He needed to protect her from him! He didn’t care if Hal was going to be stuck in a psychiatric ward, Megamind needed to shield her from everything! Megamind knew that he had to protect his family.</p>
<p>“You’re concerned, aren’t you?”</p>
<p>Megamind was pulled from his thoughts as the Warden spoke. “Huh? No, no I’m not.” He lied.</p>
<p>“You’re worried that he’ll escape. You have my word that he won’t escape the psychiatric institute, he’ll be under close surveillance while he is there. He may have lost his powers thanks to you, but he is still a high security prisoner who will be monitored 24/7.” The Warden tried to reassure the blue man.</p>
<p>Megamind sighed again. “Ever since becoming the Defender of <em>Metrocity</em>, I have been working so hard to put crooks like him behind bars, and now he’s considered as criminally insane! Every man and his dog knows that he is completely sane! I can’t believe this! The whole situation is just madness.”</p>
<p>“Well at least you put away three other villains who are considered sane.” The Warden tried to put a positive spin on the situation. “Hot Flash and the Destruction Worker are in maximum security prisons across the country, and we have Psycho Delic tucked away here in solitary confinement.”</p>
<p>Megamind smirked devilishly. “Mmm, and how is our disco-crazed purple villain liking his time in prison?”</p>
<p>The Warden gestured a hand towards the prison cells. “Why don’t you see for yourself.”</p>
<p>Megamind passed all the regular prison cells and said hello to his former inmates in the form of unique handshakes and casual salutes. He even recognised some of his ‘uncles’ as they played cards with some of the officers through the prison bars. Megamind chuckled as he heard the Warden scold the officers by saying “get back to work! The city doesn’t pay you to loaf!”</p>
<p>Megamind and the Warden turned down a corridor, and Megamind stopped to see his old prison cell that was now empty. On the door it read ‘Hal Stewart/Tighten’, and Megamind looked into the cell and saw pictures of cartoon rabbits, ducks and unicorns with the words ‘Happy Thoughts Make Happy People’ written on the wall. Megamind shuddered for this place had harboured him once upon a time, and he had managed to escape on a number of occasions and yet, Hal didn’t even attempt to escape once and he was let out on the grounds of ‘insanity’. It made Megamind’s blood boil.</p>
<p>Megamind turned away from the cell that held so many memories and continued to follow the Warden closely. They then walked into another corridor that Megamind had never seen before. The whole area was white, and Megamind could hardly make out a doorframe until the Warden had stopped Megamind from walking into it and knocking his giant blue head.</p>
<p>“He’s here.” The Warden said. “Open up.” He commanded the officer who was watching over the imprisoned villain. Megamind watched with eagerness as the officer pushed a few buttons and the prison window opened to reveal a completely white room with a purple-faced figure dressed an orange prison jumpsuit sitting comfortably on their chair. “You’ve got a visitor.” The Warden said to the inmate.</p>
<p>The purple mutant smirked which accentuated his red eyes, white teeth and skeleton-like features. He tented his long fingers and crossed his legs as he gazed at Megamind. The villain reminded Megamind of himself for a moment: his demeanour was full of confidence, cockiness, and a sense of playfulness. “Ooo, this is a treat.” The villain smirked even more. “Megamind. It’s been a long time, old friend.” Psycho Delic spoke with his funky baritone voice.</p>
<p>“Psycho Delic.” Megamind spoke his name slowly. “I still see your colourfully deranged.”</p>
<p>Psycho Delic leaned forward and gazed at Megamind. “How long has it been? Six years, give or take? You lose track of time when you’re in here, especially when you can’t throw a disco party.”</p>
<p>Megamind narrowed his green eyes. “It hasn’t been long enough. At least you have another several hundred years to go.”</p>
<p>Psycho Delic laughed deeply at Megamind’s comment. “Oh, but it does get lonely in here, especially now Tighten is gone. I don’t have any friends to play cards with.” The villain then sat up quickly looking at the blue man with interest with his red eyes. “You know what my favourite cards in the deck are? <em>Ace and spades!</em>” The villain laughed deeply, and he relaxed back into his chair. Megamind’s face became stern and he leaned away from the window. “Any chance that you’ve seen my lady around lately? I miss her terribly and long be by her side once more.” Psycho Delic’s face pouted in a mocking manner.</p>
<p>“Lady Doppler is not your concern, Psycho Delic.”</p>
<p>Psycho Delic inhaled and let out a low evil laugh. “She will always be my concern, Megamind. I’m sure she’s cooking up a <em>storm</em> while she’s waiting for me. When I’m out of here, we will party all night long! And next time, you won’t be crashing the party.”</p>
<p>Megamind retorted with an equally evil laugh. “Think again. She doesn’t dance to your tune anymore.”</p>
<p>“Oh really? We shall see about that!” Psycho Delic let out a shrieking evil laugh.</p>
<p>Megamind eyed up the purple villain lazily. “That’s bold of you to make threats when you’re in no position to do so.”</p>
<p>Psycho Delic’s smile widened even further, and it made Megamind shiver. “That’s what you think.” Megamind shook his head and asked the guard to close the window. “You’re not so different to me, Megamind.” Psycho Delic shouted in a serious tone, which made the guard stop the window from closing. Megamind kept his brilliant green eyes on the villain and listened to what he had to say. “We wear the dark colours of villainy and have committed unspeakable evil. We are the bad guys who get the girl one way or another. And believe me, I will get my lady back!”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em>To be continued...</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>If you're liking this story, be sure to give it a kudos and a comment xxx</em>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0007"><h2>7. The Metro City Games</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <em>Hello again, and welcome to the next chapter for my first ever story.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>I really hope that you are liking this, because this is so much fun to write!</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>Anyway, consider this chapter as the calm before the storm... enjoy xxx</em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <strong>Chapter 7 – The Metro City Games</strong>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em>Almost a year later:</em>
</p>
<p>Gaia Andromeda Ritchie sat at the front of the class as she listened attentively to her teacher Mrs. Whelan talking about simple math equations. “Now who can tell me what 12 + 6 is?” Mrs. Whelan asked. Gaia’s arms shot up with eagerness and it looked as though she would shoot out of her seat. “Shouldn’t you let somebody else answer this question, Gaia?”</p>
<p>“Oh please, Mrs. Whelan! I really know this one!” She spoke with eagerness.</p>
<p>Mrs. Whelan smiled with admiration at the little girl. “Go on then.”</p>
<p>“Oh, that’s 18!” She exclaimed.</p>
<p>“Well done.”</p>
<p>“Huh, what a nerd!” The voice of Sadie Howard was heard from the back of the classroom and her friends laughed at her comment. Gaia’s face immediately expressed a face full of hurt.</p>
<p>Mrs. Whelan’s face scrunched up as she turned to face the young student. “Sadie Howard. You can answer this next question.” Gaia turned around and saw Sadie’s face pout as she crossed her arms. “Tell me what is 13 + 9?” Sadie didn’t answer the question and looked away. “I suggest that you follow Gaia’s example and do some more reading at home, and sit at the front of the class in future, young lady.” She sternly spoke to Sadie. Sadie simply glared daggers at Gaia, who immediately turned her back on Sadie in fear.</p>
<p>The academic year that had passed had not been completely easy for Megamind’s daughter. She may have been the smartest child in her year and achieved straight A’s in every subject, but she wasn’t the most respected child at Metro City Elementary School. She quickly learned that being the Defender of Metro City’s daughter did not offer automatic protection from those that would bully her. On multiple occasions, Sadie and her small group of friends would corner Gaia as she sat and ate her lunch alone and would call her all sorts of names ranging from ‘little nerdy weirdo’ to ‘big blue-headed freak of nature’. Gaia always knew that she was different to everyone else, but she hoped that the other children would see past her appearance. The bullying escalated on some occasions when Sadie and her group would physically push her around in a circle and taunt her with name-calling. Of course, Gaia had cried her little green eyes out when she was bullied by Sadie, and she rarely told her father about the bullying as she knew how he would react. The last time Gaia had told her father that she was being bullied and called mean names, Megamind had threatened to dehydrate Sadie and her group of friends. Thankfully, Vida had overheard that conversation one day and promised Megamind that she and the teachers would carefully watch over Sadie when she was near Gaia.</p>
<p>Despite all of this, Gaia had found a passion for netball and had joined the junior girls school team. She quickly got good at passing the ball and shooting goals, and was given the player position of Goal Attack. She began to make friends on the team who liked her for who she was. She was never left out and was praised by her teammates and netball coach, Miss Carson. When friendly games were on, Megamind and Roxanne would attend and encourage their daughter to keep playing well.</p>
<p>While Gaia enjoyed her time learning at school, playing netball and being praised by Mrs. Whelan, she was glad that she could finish school, get away from Sadie and spend time with her parents, in particular her daddy as she would watch him repair and create inventions.</p>
<p>The school bell rang loudly on the Friday afternoon and all the children quickly picked up their bags and ran out of the classrooms. After class, Vida found Gaia and told her to stay back in school with her. She walked the little blue girl to her office and sat her down in a chair. “What did I do?” Gaia asked with confusion.</p>
<p>Vida smiled and touched her shoulder quickly. “Nothing, Gaia. We’re going somewhere cool tonight.”</p>
<p>Gaia’s eyes lit up. “We are!? Where are going? Who else is coming with us?” She wondered.</p>
<p>“All of the family are coming with us. We’re going to see the Metro City Games tonight. Your mommy and daddy thought that you deserved a treat after all your hard work in school.”</p>
<p>Gaia jumped up and down on the spot and squealed. “Oh really! I’ve always wanted to go and see the games. I’m so excited! When are we leaving?”</p>
<p>A chirpy toot of a car horn was heard outside of Vida’s office window, and she peaked through the blinds to see who it was. “Now!” Vida smiled.</p>
<p>Vida guided Gaia out of the school grounds and locked all the doors and gates on the way out, while she carried Gaia’s schoolbag. Gaia stopped in her tracks and saw a large framed man with rugged hair and a beard dressed in a long khaki jacket and a hat, as he leaned against a white Mercedes-Benz sedan.</p>
<p>“Uncle Wayne!” Gaia exclaimed. She ran towards the former superhero for a hug, and she was happy to find that he picked her up effortlessly and gave her a large bear hug. He swung her around in the air and felt her lilac coloured jacket and black skirts of her black and white dress fly in the breeze. Thankfully, she was wearing some thick black tights otherwise her body would’ve been freezing in the cooling afternoon air.</p>
<p>“Hey, Little Blue. You’re happy to see me today!” He put her down on the ground as he spoke in his smooth baritone voice.</p>
<p>Gaia placed her hands behind her back and gazed at him shyly. “I’m always happy to see you.” Wayne hummed at her happily.</p>
<p>“Wayne!” Vida called out to him as she waved.</p>
<p>Wayne’s expression immediately changed from happiness to a flirtatious smirk. He rubbed Gaia’s brown hair and strolled over to Vida, who seemed to be struggling to carry Gaia’s schoolbag as well as her own handbag full of paperwork. He took the schoolbag from Vida and brought her petite body to his muscular frame, and growled at her happily as she placed her arms onto his chest. “Miss Vida McCleod, you are looking devastatingly beautiful once again.”</p>
<p>Vida couldn’t help herself but to smile widely at his compliment. “Awe, Wayne you are way too kind.” The pair then drew their lips together and passionately kissed in the chilly weather.</p>
<p>“Ewww!” Gaia said with a disgusted look. The pair broke the kiss and looked at Gaia embarrassed momentarily. They then broke out into a laugh as they walked towards the white Mercedes. “It’s not funny, it’s gross!” Gaia said.</p>
<p>Wayne and Vida continued to laugh as they guided her to the back door of the car. “Come on, get in the car. We have a game to watch!” Wayne said, as he opened the back door and helped her with her seatbelt.</p>
<p>The drive to the games was a very smooth one, as Wayne’s car was brand-spanking new and the traffic was surprisingly good, considering that it was a Friday and that a major sports event was taking place that night. Gaia sat in the back of the car quietly and listened to the radio, picking up bits about the games tonight and listening to random radio ads and pop music. She watched as Wayne and Vida held hands throughout the drive, and Vida smiled lovingly at her man.</p>
<p>Night had fallen and Wayne parked the car and opened the doors for Vida and Gaia to get out. He then took Gaia and Vida by the hands and lead them into the stadium, where other spectators were entering. The three of them were stopped by the security guard who asked for their tickets, and then directed them to where their seats were. As they walked into the stadium, Gaia could feel that the place was far colder than what it was outside of the stadium. She shivered as she zipped up her thick lilac jacket. Wayne picked up on her reaction to the cold and brought out a few objects from his jacket pocket.</p>
<p>“Here, I think you’ll need these.” Gaia took the woolly materials and found that it was a bright pink beanie with matching bright pink gloves. She put them on and smiled at Wayne thankfully. “Hey look, they match your shoes, Blue.” He noted. Gaia looked down and realised that they did match her bright pink converse shoes.</p>
<p>“Where are we supposed to be, Wayne?” Vida asked her boyfriend.</p>
<p>Wayne stroked his beard and scanned the stadium. He then set his blue eyes on where they needed to be. “Down at the bottom there. You should see Roxanne with the family.” He pointed. “You take Gaia with you. I’m going to get some food and drinks.” He then left. Vida tilted her head to Gaia and guided her through the stadium. Moments later, Vida and Gaia had made it near the bottom of the stadium where they could see everything happen throughout the night at ground level, and found Roxanne in warm clothes as she sat with her father, Ethan and her brother, Michael.</p>
<p>“Mommy!” Gaia called out to Roxanne.</p>
<p>Roxanne turned around and opened her arms to her daughter for a hug. “Gaia!” Roxanne then kissed her daughter on the cheek and let her go. “How was your day, baby?” She asked.</p>
<p>“Good.”</p>
<p>“How’s my favourite granddaughter!” Ethan Ritchie roared as he picked up Gaia from behind and turned her around to face him, settling her on his hip.</p>
<p>“Granddaddy!” Gaia wrapped her arms around Ethan tightly.</p>
<p>“Hey, Blue!” Gaia’s uncle greeted her.</p>
<p>“Hi, Uncle Mikey!” Gaia waved sat him. Michael was Roxanne’s handsome older brother and the heir to Ritchie Technologies Ltd. He had short brown hair that was gelled back, and he wore a thick black jacket with a perfectly cut suit underneath. From being very small, Gaia had always enjoyed her times with her uncle, even though his work schedule limited him a lot to seeing her.</p>
<p>Michael laughed and then drew out his hand to her. “Fist pump!” Michael then gestured with his fist. Gaia greeted him with a fist pump and then pretended that afterwards it exploded, as she made a ‘boom’ noise. Gaia then laughed hysterically.</p>
<p>“Okay you two, calm down. The game hasn’t started, and we don’t want to waste our energy yet.” Ethan told his son and granddaughter.</p>
<p>“Meanwhile, cheers to the Metro City Games!” Wayne had returned with hot dogs, chips, five apple ciders and a bottle of orange juice, and handed the food and drinks to each person.</p>
<p>“Thanks, Uncle Wayne!” Gaia said as she took the orange juice and hungrily ate at a hot dog that she was given.</p>
<p>As Gaia and her family finished off her hot dog and orange juice, music tracks such as <em>‘Don’t Bring Me Down’ </em>by Electric Light Orchestra, <em>‘Rock n’ Roll Part 2’ </em>by Gary Glitter and <em>‘Let’s Get It Started’</em> by the Black Eyed Peas echoed throughout the stadium. The crowd sang and danced to each of the songs, and cameras projected onto large TV screens, showing members of the crowd having fun and waving. Gaia could not get enough of the lively environment and it had been everything she had thought it would be.</p>
<p>From left to right sat Wayne, Vida, Roxanne, Gaia, Ethan and Michael. Everyone had taken their seats, except for two people who were missing. “Where’s Daddy and Uncle Minion?” Gaia wondered as she looked around.</p>
<p>“Don’t worry, they’ll be here soon, Gaia.” Ethan spoke as he cuddled her. “Hey, look up there!” Gaia’s brilliant green eyes focused on one of the large TV’s that showed her herself while her aging grandfather cuddled her tightly. She then heard a massive roar from the crowd as they saw her face on the screen. Gaia beamed a wide smile and waved wildly with both hands at the TV with her grandfather.</p>
<p>The music in the stadium died down and the noise of the crowd followed suit. A deep male voice rang over the stadium. <em>“Good evening ladies and gentlemen, and welcome to Metro City Stadium and the first match of the annual Metro City Games!"</em> The crowd cheered at the announcement, and Gaia clapped her hands with excitement. <em>“Tonight, we have the Metro City Stealth take on the Modesto Bandits in a clash that will be unforgettable! But before we touchdown with the game, let us entertain you with the one and only man who can begin these games with style!”</em> The crowd continued to cheer. <em>“You know his name, Metro City, and we all know this man is all about presentation! Ladies and gentleman, please give a big warm welcome to the Defender of Metro City...”</em> The crowd’s roar increased tremendously, and they started to wriggle with excitement in their seats. <em>“MEGAMIND!”</em> the voice boomed out slowly.</p>
<p>Black smoke immediately filled the ground of the stadium and blue strobe lights created by several brain bots omitted the whole stadium. The unmistakable shape of Megamind’s blue head was being projected by another lot of brain bots. The beginning of <em>‘Thunderstruck’ </em>by AC/DC began to play, and the crowd continued to get excited as they sang along to the song. They knew they were in for a good show tonight!<em>"</em><em>Thunder! Thunder!”</em> They all sang.</p>
<p>“Oh my god! This is one of my favourite songs!” Gaia jumped out of her seat and yanked on Roxanne’s woolly jacket.</p>
<p>The smoke diffused across the stadium and revealed a gigantic robot decorated with lightning strikes standing in a staunch position. Roxanne focused her eyes and noticed a gorilla-like being standing in the robot. “Is that Minion in there?” She asked rhetorically. Minion was inside the robot and showed off his fantastic dance moves, everything from the moonwalk, to the robot, to shuffling on the spot. As the electric guitar in the song picked up, Minion continued to dance wildly and then stopped and held a pose that had a funky vibe to it.</p>
<p><em>“And I was shaking at the knees, could I come again please?” </em>As the lyrics were sung, a bolt of lightning erupted in the stadium and a tornado consisting of hundreds of blue brain bots invaded the grounds and whirled in front of Minion in the giant robot.</p>
<p>
  <em>"</em>
  <em>Yeah them ladies were too kind, you’ve been…thunderstruck!” </em>
</p>
<p>As the word ‘thunderstruck’ was sung, the brain bots burst out of their formation with pyrogenic effects to reveal Megamind flying around on a silver hoverboard in a long flowing cape.</p>
<p>For this event, Megamind had asked Minion to put together his most ‘terrifying’ and elaborate cape for the show. It was only right that he would wear the Black Mamba for such an occasion – spikes and all. Presentation was everything after all, right?</p>
<p>The roar of the crowd was deafening as the former supervillain revealed himself, but Gaia was way too caught up with the show to even care about how much her little ears hurt, for she was screaming with joy as she saw her daddy entertaining the crowd. She watched as Megamind whizzed around the stadium waving and high-fiving members of the crowd.</p>
<p>“Way to go, little buddy!” Wayne yelled out as he cuddled Vida with one hand and held his bottle of cider in the other hand.</p>
<p>Vida looked up at Wayne with dreamy eyes. “You gotta admit, he does a kick ass job at being an entertaining hero. He’s definitely got a talent for presentation.” Wayne looked into Vida’s blue eyes as if to say, ‘oh really?’</p>
<p>“And I didn’t?” He beamed her a flirtatious smile.</p>
<p>Vida narrowed her eyes, mirroring the flirting. “You were always entertaining for the people of Metro City.” Vida then ran a slim finger over his chest. “But you only entertain me now.” She smirked.</p>
<p>Wayne brought her body close to him and smirked. “And I wouldn’t have it any other way, my sunshine.”</p>
<p>Megamind continued to ride on the hoverboard and greet the adoring crowd before him. A large gathering of his blue brain bots then flew under him and created a large ongoing wave for him to ‘surf’. The crowd roared in reaction as he then rode across a giant wave of brain bots that made him look like a pro-surfer.</p>
<p><em>‘YOU’VE BEEN THUNDERSTRUCK!’</em> the last lyric of the AC/DC song rang out through the stadium, and the crowd continued to roar as Megamind ‘rode out’ the wave of brain bots, hopped off the silver hoverboard and lifted up his arms to finish his routine.</p>
<p>“Yeah! That’s my daddy! That’s my daddy!” Gaia yelled at the top of her lungs whilst jumping up and down as the crowd became even more deafening.</p>
<p><em>“Ladies and gentlemen, please give a big round of applause for Minion, and of course, Megamind, the Defender of Metro City!”</em> The faceless voice spoke again. Megamind waved to all the crowd with both hands stretched out as he beamed a white smile.</p>
<p>“Megamind! Megamind! Megamind!” The whole stadium chanted their hero’s name.</p>
<p>Pinky then hovered nearby Megamind, and he quickly snatched a microphone from her only mechanical hand. The crowd then quieted down a little as they waited to hear Megamind speak. <em>“Ollo, Metrocity!”</em> He said incorrectly. Roxanne rolled her blue eyes and smiled at her husband, but the crowd didn’t seem to care and roared with admiration at their hero. "First off, thank you for letting me open these games. It is always a <em>preeviledge</em> to do this event, and I’m sure you all appreciate it!” Megamind waltzed around the green field as the crowd cheered for him again. “And this year is a special year for me.” The crowd quieted down to almost silence as they listened to what Megamind had to say. “And I’ll tell you why: this is my sixth appearance at the opening ceremony of these games, but more importantly, this is my daughter’s first time at the Metro City Games, and I really wanted to put on a show not just for you, or for my amazing wife, Roxanne Ritchie, but for her.” The crowd whistled and clapped at the statement. Megamind then scanned the massive crowd as if trying to look for her. It was like he was looking for a needle in a haystack. “Now, where are you, Gaia?”</p>
<p>Gaia looked up to her mother, who now took her by the hand and guided her down to the barrier that separated the crowd from the playing field. A security guard nearby opened the barrier for the two of them, and Gaia tread on the soft green grass carefully. As she and Roxanne had stepped onto the field, the stadium cameras focused on them. Megamind immediately focused his brilliant green eyes on the two most important people in his life. “There’s my girls! Come here, you two!” He gestured his hands in a come-hither motion to them. The crowd continued to cheer, and Gaia immediately started to run towards her dad and giggled as she ran. Her lilac jacket flew about in the wind along with the black skirt of her dress. Meanwhile, Roxanne causally walked towards Megamind.</p>
<p>The crowd cheered for little Gaia as she ran to Megamind. She then lifted up her arms and felt her dad lift her up and give her a massive cuddle. Megamind then put the microphone back to his mouth and held onto Gaia with his remaining arm. “Citizens of <em>Metrocity,</em> this is my little girl, Gaia. Wave to everyone.” He told Gaia. Gaia did exactly that and waved with both of her hands happily, and in reaction, the crowd cheered for her, and Megamind let out one of his classic evil-like laughs. Roxanne had finally caught up and stood next to her husband admirably.</p>
<p>“So tonight is a special occasion for us as a family.” Megamind gestured for Roxanne to wrap her arm around his waist, and she did so happily. “Because not only is this Gaia’s first time being here, but today is also her birthday and she has just turned six years old.” All of the crowd made an ‘awe’ sound. Gaia began to blush which made her cheeks and ears turned slightly purple. “So, happy birthday, Little Blue.”</p>
<p>Gaia then felt a little bold and snatched the microphone from her dad. “This is the best birthday present ever!”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>XXX</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Roxanne and Megamind sat in the back of the invisible car with their daughter sleeping in between them, while Minion drove them home to the lair. By this time, Megamind had taken off his Black Mamba and changed into a white long-sleeved shirt and blue pants. Roxanne had taken off Gaia’s bright pink beanie and stroked her short dark brown hair she slept in her lap.</p>
<p>“Well I’d say that tonight was a great success, Sir!” Minion chirped as he drove the car.</p>
<p>“Hmm yes. Even though <em>Metrocity</em> narrowly lost to Modesto, we all know that everyone came for the opening ceremony.” Megamind raised an eyebrow confidently as he stared at Roxanne.</p>
<p>“Show off!” Roxanne smirked at him and Megamind wiggled his eyebrows as if encouraged by her.</p>
<p>“Oh you love it, Ms. Ritchie. Besides, I am always a winner in your eyes.” Megamind’s eyes when soft and he reached out to Roxanne’s hand that was stroking Gaia’s head.</p>
<p>Roxanne smiled down at their daughter. “She’s spark out. The games really did tire her and it’s way past her bedtime.”</p>
<p>“But it was well worth her staying up late to see the game.”</p>
<p>Roxanne giggled to herself. “For her next birthday, I can see her asking for something bigger and better.”</p>
<p>“Oh, she will get something better next year, I promise!”</p>
<p>Roxanne rolled her eyes. “You spoil her way too much, Meg.”</p>
<p>The invisible car parked in the lair and Megamind helped Roxanne get Gaia out of the car without disturbing her too much. Megamind then carried Gaia through the lair, letting her head flop onto his slim chest. All four of the pink brain bots circled Megamind, Gaia and Roxanne quietly, and followed them as they took Gaia to her bedroom.</p>
<p>“Bowg.” The pink brain bot Violet made a noise.</p>
<p>“Shush!” Megamind quipped. Gaia then mumbled in her dad’s chest and rubbed her face against him.</p>
<p>“Well, if I’m not needed anymore tonight, I’ll just go and power down.” Minion murmured.</p>
<p>Roxanne nodded her head. “You’ve done more than enough, thank you, Minion.”</p>
<p>Minion smiled and waited as his castle came up into his fish tank. “Goodnight, Roxanne. Goodnight, Sir.”</p>
<p>“Night, Minion.” They both said simultaneously.</p>
<p>Megamind gently kicked the door open to Gaia’s bedroom that was decorated with baby blue wallpaper that had moons and stars all over it. He gently placed her down and watched as she mumbled something incoherent.</p>
<p>Megamind felt Roxanne’s smooth hand touch his shoulder. “I’ll get her into bed, I’ll see you soon.”</p>
<p>Megamind turned and gave Roxanne a small kiss, wanting to deepen their passion. “Don’t take too long, my temptress. Otherwise my arms grow cold without you in them.” He smirked flirtatiously and then walked out of Gaia’s room.</p>
<p>Roxanne then gently took off Gaia’s clothing and dressed her in her dark blue pyjamas and tucked her into bed carefully. She then placed Gaia’s glowing binky in her hands and kissed her little girl on the cheek goodnight and let her sleep in peace. “Sweet dreams, Blue.” Roxanne was glad that Gaia had been a good little sleeper throughout her whole life and was not easily disturbed.</p>
<p>Roxanne strolled towards hers and Megamind’s bedroom and flicked back a strand of her dark brown hair. She opened the door and found the bedroom empty. She looked at the large double bed confused, expecting her blue man to be in bed waiting for her. “Megamind? AH!” A person had slammed the bedroom door and grabbed Roxanne by the waist roughly and pushed her against the wall. A pair of blue lips crushed into hers with hunger, and Roxanne felt herself melt into her husband’s body. She hummed happily and wrapped her arms around him as they shared passionate kisses. “You scared me, Meg.” Roxanne breathed as they broke the kiss.</p>
<p>Megamind’s green eyes darkened and he smirked wickedly at her. “You can scream all you wish, Ms. Ritchie. I’m afraid no one can hear you.”</p>
<p>Roxanne smiled at him coyly as he quoted himself once again. “Like I’ve heard that one before, blue boy.” Megamind then proceeded to laugh in an evil tone and locked his lips with Roxanne once again. The pair kissed passionately for many moments as if they were each other’s oxygen. Megamind then picked up Roxanne, making her straddle her legs around his slim frame. He then made his way to their bed and gently dropped her down, making her whimper in excitement. Megamind then pounced on the bed, hovered over Roxanne dominantly and cupped her pale face with his blue hands. “Someone’s in a good mood tonight.” Roxanne chirped with dreamy blue eyes.</p>
<p>“I’m always in a good mood when I’m with you.” Megamind’s tone was low that was laced with enormous amounts of seduction.</p>
<p>“So nothing to do with the crowd cheering your name, or for the fact that it’s your daughter’s birthday today?” Roxanne smirked.</p>
<p>Megamind looked up for a second. “Maybe that has something to do with it.” Megamind’s eyes darkened again. “But the main reason why I’m in a good mood is that I get to see you every single day, and of course…” Megamind then traced soft kisses over Roxanne’s neck which made her shiver with pleasure. “… Hold you in my arms…” he traced his hands over her arms and shoulders gently. “… Taste those sweet lips of yours, and make love to you.”</p>
<p>Roxanne breathed heavily as her blue husband charmed her with his words. “I think we need to get all of this off.” Roxanne gestured at their clothes.</p>
<p>“I think you’re right.”</p>
<p>Megamind and Roxanne quickly undressed each other with haste, being careful not to snap off any buttons or ruin any zippers. Roxanne decided to take control and rolled on top of Megamind keenly, and Megamind was more than happy to let Roxanne take the lead as his hands explored her naked body. He always admired her sheer independence and determination even when they were intimate. There was never a boring moment in the bedroom for this unusual couple. Passionate kisses were shared and they both felt that they needed more of each other. In one swift motion, Roxanne joined herself with Megamind.</p>
<p>A few hours had passed, and Megamind and Roxanne lay in each other’s arms with the blanket covering their naked forms. They had no idea what time it was at night but they didn’t care. Both of them breathed heavily with exhaustion as they stared up at the ceiling happily.</p>
<p>“Well that was… intense. I’ve lost count how many times we’ve done it tonight.” Roxanne breathed.</p>
<p>Megamind chuckled as he stroked her shoulder gently. “I’m just glad that our daughter is a good little sleeper. It means that we can get up to whatever we want, and be as loud as we want to be.” He smirked at her devilishly.</p>
<p>Roxanne gently grabbed Megamind’s well-defined jaw and made him face her. “You are definitely on a high from tonight, Mr Defender-of-Metro-City. It seems that nothing can stop you.” She then kissed him with fiery passion and then rested her head in the crook of his shoulder.</p>
<p>Megamind smiled and then his face dropped, and Roxanne picked up on his behaviour. “What’s wrong?” Megamind didn’t answer. “Honey?”</p>
<p>“It’s nothing.” He tried to brush it off.</p>
<p>Roxanne sat up on her elbows, she wasn’t going to let this one slide. “No, what is it? Tell me.”</p>
<p>Megamind flicked his green eyes and met them with Roxanne’s blue ones. “What if something can stop me, or someone?” Roxanne opened her mouth but was quickly cut off by her blue husband. “I’ve just felt on edge for a while now, ever since Gaia started <em>shool</em>. When I heard about Hal <em>Schtewart </em>being put in the psychiatric ward, I immediately went to the prison. I saw him being escorted into the van that took him to the ward.”</p>
<p>“Why didn’t you tell me about this?”</p>
<p>“I didn’t want to worry you anymore than what you were that day. Even though you were reporting on the story, I could see the concern on your face. When the prison guards put him in the van, he looked at me and smirked like he knew that he had played the justice system! He’s up to something, I’m sure of it!”</p>
<p>Roxanne sighed. “Megamind, you and I can agree that Hal isn’t insane, but there’s no way that he could escape that psychiatric ward; he doesn’t have Metro Man’s powers, and he’s constantly under heavy guard.” Roxanne then grabbed his face with both of her soft hands. “He can’t harm us.”</p>
<p>Megamind shook his head. “I don’t believe it, Roxanne. I just have a bad feeling about him … and Psycho Delic.” He finished.</p>
<p>Roxanne’s eyes widened. “You saw him! That monster who kidnapped Vida!?” Her voice went an octave higher.</p>
<p>“Yes. He remains hopeful that Lady Doppler will be waiting for him.”</p>
<p>“Lady Doppler? Did you tell Vida about your little visit to prison?” Roxanne’s face scrunched up.</p>
<p>“No, and I never will. She doesn’t need to know. She was traumatised when I rescued her from Psycho Delic and the Doom Syndicate, she still is.”</p>
<p>“Even the mention of his name makes her skin crawl.” Roxanne looked into Megamind’s eyes searching for something. “What did he do to her, Megamind? She still won’t tell me about what happened that day.”</p>
<p>Megamind shook his head. “She should be the one to tell you what happened, not me.” He spoke wisely.</p>
<p>Roxanne laid back in Megamind’s arms and let out a deep sigh. “Lady Doppler may have got away, but I’m just glad that the other members of the Doom Syndicate are far away from here and in prison. Far away from Vida, from me, from you and from Gaia.”</p>
<p>Megamind was absent-minded as he stroked Roxanne’s arm in a comforting manner. “Yeah. None of them will get their hands on us ever again, or our little girl.”</p>
<p>Megamind cuddled Roxanne firmly until she fell asleep in his blue arms. Megamind stayed up a while longer as doubts crossed his mind. He still didn’t feel confident about Hal being in a psych ward, and the smirk that he expressed had imprinted in Megamind’s giant blue head. Something was off, really off! Was Hal planning to escape somehow? Did he know that him and Roxanne were happily married? Did he even know about Gaia? Did he know what school she went to? How old she was? What she looked like? What sport she played? What foods she liked? Surely not!</p>
<p>Yes, Hal may know about him and Roxanne, and possibly about Gaia, but he wouldn’t know details about his little girl right? It was in that moment that Megamind renewed a vow he had made when Gaia was only but a baby. <em>‘I need to protect my daughter at all costs from the evils of the world, even if it means hiding the truth from her!’</em></p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em>To be continued...</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>Be sure to give this story a kudos and comment :) xxx</em>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0008"><h2>8. Winners</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <em>Hi guys, welcome back! Here is the next chapter where things begin to step up a notch.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>Enjoy :)</em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <strong>Chapter 8 – Winners</strong>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em>Two months later:</em>
</p>
<p>Megamind and Roxanne woke up in bed one morning and found their naked forms intertwined in one another with the bedsheets halfway down the bed. They were both glad that it was a Saturday so that they could sleep in together.</p>
<p>“Good morning, temptress.” Megamind murmured in his wife’s pale ear. Roxanne merely hummed as she let her husband’s face reach her messy dark brown hair and inhale her sweet scent. “You smell <em>deevine!”</em></p>
<p>Roxanne giggled as his use of vocabulary. Even after all these years, Megamind still had not grasped some basic words and she had given up on correcting his grammar. Instead, she now let Gaia correct him. She inhaled his scent, noting a mix of Jean Paul Gaultier perfume and the natural musk as a result of love making. She found his scent intoxicating every single time. “Back at you, handsome.”</p>
<p>Megamind’s eyes met with Roxanne’s and his eyelids grew heavy with a combination of love and hunger for her. His blue lips then met hers with wild passion and he cupped her face with one hand, while the other slid behind her back and supported her.</p>
<p>“I love the weekends. No alarms to wake us up, and no rush to get to work on time or to take Gaia to school.” Roxanne placed both of her hands on Megamind’s bare chest. “I get to comfortably wake up next to you whenever I want.” She kissed him again with tenderness.</p>
<p>Megamind hummed against her lips and broke the kiss. “Never in my wildest dreams did I imagine that the damsel in distress would find herself in her villain’s bed.”</p>
<p>“I was hardly a damsel in distress, and you were hardly a villain.” Roxanne huffed.</p>
<p>“Oh, you offend me, Ms. Ritchie. I think you’ll find that I was a <em>supervillain.</em>” Megamind spoke with playful sarcasm.</p>
<p>Roxanne smirked at him seductively. “Did I hurt your feelings, blue boy? What are you going to do about it?”</p>
<p>Megamind brought her body closer to his, practically squashing her arms against his chest. “I have a punishment in mind for you.”</p>
<p>“Oh really?” Roxanne then let one of her hands roam down his blue chest and travel downwards. “Does it involve this?” She grabbed onto the most intimate part of his body.</p>
<p>Megamind hissed in pleasure as his wife grabbed him confidently, he was enchanted by her touch. “Most definitely.” Megamind then roughly kissed Roxanne and rolled her over onto her back, and he shuffled himself in between her legs. He then joined himself with her once more and began his intimate dance of love with her. Megamind and Roxanne could feel that they were both reaching their peaks, and Megamind’s movements quickened.</p>
<p>“Megamind!” Roxanne screamed.</p>
<p>“Roxanne!” Megamind breathed.</p>
<p>“Mommy! Daddy! Wake up!” Gaia barged through the bedroom door happily, dressed in a short yellow dress that had the letters ‘GA’, standing for goal attack, on the front of her chest, and her short dark brown hair was put back in pigtails. Megamind and Roxanne shrieked and scrambled under the bedsheets, and tried to act as if nothing was happening between them. Both of their faces were flushed, and they felt their arousals quickly die as Gaia jumped on the bed and sat in between them.</p>
<p>“Gaia. When Mommy and Daddy’s door is closed, you can’t come in okay?” Roxanne said as she tried to catch her breath.</p>
<p>“But Uncle Minion said that I could come up and wake you, but your door was locked! He showed me how to use my binky on the door!” Gaia bounced on the bed with excitement, as she held onto her glowing blue binky that hummed.</p>
<p>“Minion!” Megamind yelled at his fantastic fish friend as he peeked his head into view.</p>
<p>Minion put his mechanical hands behind his gorilla-like suit and looked like a deer in the headlights. “She said she wanted to come up. I can’t resist that cute little face!” He squeaked in a higher tone knowing that he was in trouble.</p>
<p>“Oh, you dim-witted creation of science!” Megamind waved his hands around to exaggerate his frustration.</p>
<p>“We were <em>busy</em>, Minion.” Roxanne said.</p>
<p>“Busy?”</p>
<p>“Yeah. Busy.<em> Relaxing</em>.” She tried to spell it out for him as her eyes widened with each word.</p>
<p>Minion retreated into his little tank as he realised her meaning. “Sorry.” Megamind shook his head with a sense of grumpiness.</p>
<p>Gaia looked at her parents confused. “Why don’t you and Daddy have pyjamas on?” She spoke slowly.</p>
<p>Roxanne’s eyes darted around the room as she tried to find an answer. “Umm, we got too hot in bed.” Megamind gave Roxanne a terrified and embarrassed look.</p>
<p>“But it was cold last night.” Gaia's innocent face looked at her flushed mother. Megamind face-palmed himself with both hands, and had a look that said, ‘someone kill me now’.</p>
<p>Roxanne laughed nervously. “It doesn’t matter, baby. I see you are dressed up for your netball game today. Are you excited?” Roxanne smiled.</p>
<p>Gaia stood up and jumped up and down. “Yes! I can’t wait to play!”</p>
<p>“Have you had your breakfast yet?”</p>
<p>“No.”</p>
<p>“Well we can’t have our little goal attack playing on an empty stomach now, can we!” Megamind cupped Gaia’s little face and she giggled in response. “Off you go. Uncle Minion will make you something nice.” Megamind smiled as he watched Gaia run out of the bedroom. Megamind’s face then dropped as he eyed up Minion. “I’ll deal with you later!” He warned. Minion shrieked and ran after Gaia.</p>
<p>Roxanne and Megamind sighed simultaneously and collapsed on the bed in relief and stared up at the ceiling. “We totally forgot about our daughter’s netball game today.” Roxanne spoke with breathlessness.</p>
<p>“Oops. Then again we were preoccupied with… pressing matters.” Megamind nodded his head at her body. “And please remind me to put a lock on our door that is binky-proof. I’m not keen on having our six-year-old walk in on us ever again.”</p>
<p>Roxanne’s faced scrunched up. “I feel sick.”</p>
<p>“Me too, that was a close one. Perhaps I’ll put that lock on the door now.”</p>
<p>“No really, I feel sick!” Roxanne put her hand to her mouth and rushed out of their bed and headed to the bathroom.</p>
<p>Megamind shot up and watched as Roxanne’s body was seen kneeling by the toilet. “Roxanne?”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>XXX</p>
<p> </p>
<p>The umpire blew the whistle and the first official netball game for the junior girls’ teams began. Today’s match was between Metro City Elementary and St Agatha’s Private Girl’s School, and Gaia felt extremely nervous. Her coach Miss Carson had gathered the team before the match and encouraged every girl to play their best, and most importantly, have fun.</p>
<p>Megamind, Roxanne, Minion and Pinky sat on the side-lines near the other parents and guardians, and watched as Gaia tried to get the ball from the opposing players. Gaia called out to her teammate who had the ball. “Go Gaia!” Roxanne yelled out with pride as Gaia firmly caught the ball from her teammate.</p>
<p>Gaia then passed the ball to the goal shoot, who then lined up the net and scored a perfect goal. The parents cheered as they watched their daughters celebrate and run back to their player positions. The match started again, and the opposition had the ball. Gaia’s teammates tried their hardest to steal the ball but failed as St Agatha’s scored another goal.</p>
<p>Halftime had approached and the teams had a quick ten-minute break, and the coaches talked to their teams giving them advice and words of encouragement. Metro City Elementary were losing by ten points, and Miss Carson told every girl on the team to keep pushing and work together to win. The whistle blew and the teams readied themselves on the court waiting for the second half of the match to begin.</p>
<p>“Come on, Gaia! Knock ‘em dead!” Megamind let out his characteristic deep laugh. Gaia smiled at her dad as she put her hands on her hips.</p>
<p>The starting whistle blew, and the players began battling for the ball. When the ball was near her, Gaia called out to her teammate who then tossed her the ball. Gaia steadied herself to catch the ball and just as she was about to catch it, she felt someone knock her out the way, making her fall onto the ground. Gaia let out a sad whimper as she felt a stinging sensation on her knees. “Gaia!” Roxanne stood up and stared at her daughter with concern. All the crowd gasped as they saw Gaia on the ground. The whistle blew loudly, and the umpire paused the game.</p>
<p>“Bowg, bowg.” Pinky had hovered over the court and helped Gaia up on her feet with her single mechanical hand. Gaia brushed down the yellow skirt of her dress and smiled at Pinky appreciatively, as if to say thank you. Megamind’s oldest brain bot quickly raced off the court and placed herself by Megamind’s side.</p>
<p>“Gaia, are you okay?” Miss Carson had come up to Gaia to comfort her.</p>
<p>“Yeah, I think so.” Gaia hobbled towards her coach, and no tears were shed. She was a tough little cookie for her age.</p>
<p>Miss Carson bobbed down and touched her blue legs. “You’ve grazed your knees. Do you still want to keep playing, or do you want to rest?” Blood slowly began to surface on her knees.</p>
<p>“No, I want to keep playing. I want to win!” Gaia smiled at Miss Carson. Miss Carson grabbed a tissue from her jacket pocket.</p>
<p>The umpire blew the whistle and the game continued. Even though she was injured, Gaia was still running around the court and throwing the ball to her teammates. Ten minutes later, Gaia had managed to score five goals and her parents cheered loudly.</p>
<p>The netball game had three minutes to spare and the game was becoming more intense, as all the girls on the court began to yell at each other for the ball. Metro City Elementary were tied with St Agatha’s, and it seemed that the next goal would determine who would win. Gaia looked around the court as the centre and wing players fought each other for the ball. The St Agatha’s team had managed to take the ball off Metro City Elementary, and then Metro City Elementary had managed to reclaim the ball. Gaia then watched as the goal defence and wing defence did their best to obstruct the ball, but Gaia had found a weak spot in their defence and sneaked through the players. She managed to get the ball and passed it to the goal shoot however, the goal shoot was too far away from the net, and was blocked by the goal keep. Gaia snuck past the goal keep and goal defence and found herself positioned close to the net. Gaia’s teammate quickly took advantage and tossed Gaia the ball.</p>
<p>“Go Gaia!” Minion shouted.</p>
<p>“You can do it, Blue!” Megamind shouted.</p>
<p>Gaia kept her focus on the net and lined up the ball for the shot, blocking out the goal keep who tried to distract her. In one quick motion, Gaia went for the shot and watched as the ball swung itself around the net before it finally settled through. The crowd of family members cheered as the final whistle blew, and Gaia jumped for joy. She then felt herself being hugged tightly and high-fived by all her teammates.</p>
<p>“Gaia!” The little girl turned around and saw her dad running onto the court to greet her.</p>
<p>“Daddy!” She ran to him.</p>
<p>Megamind then swept Gaia from the ground and swung her around with happiness. “Haha, my clever little girl!” Megamind then kissed her blue cheek quickly and hummed as he did so.</p>
<p>Roxanne then joined them and hugged both her husband and daughter. “You did so well, I’m so proud of you!" Roxanne beamed a smile.</p>
<p>Two weeks had passed since Gaia had played a crucial role in her team succeeding in their first match of the season. For a few days, Roxanne Ritchie had not been feeling herself lately, and it began to trouble her. Megamind had noticed the change in her behaviour but could not quite understand why. She had been feeling fatigued and hungrier in the last few weeks. Even her boss, and colleague, Anastasia Lewis noticed this new behaviour in the successful news reporter. Anastasia had even made a cheeky remark that she had gained a little bit of weight. What got Roxanne more concerned was that she was getting sick easy and the smell of certain foods made her nauseous and run to the bathroom.</p>
<p>Roxanne thought it best to do a little test to confirm her suspicions in the morning when her family were distracted with tinkering random devices. She sat on the bathroom sink and waited patiently for the results she desperately wanted to know. A few minutes had passed, and she saw two lines appear on the stick. Roxanne’s breath hitched and she dropped the stick in shock. Roxanne had dressed herself in some comfortable, but smart looking clothes and rushed to leave home, hoping that no one would notice her absence.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>XXX</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Roxanne, where have you been? I’ve been looking everywhere for you!” Megamind cupped her face caringly.</p>
<p>Roxanne smiled as she touched her husband’s shoulders. “I’m fine, honey. I just had to go out and do something.”</p>
<p>Megamind let go of her face and hugged her. “I tried to call you, but you left your phone here.”</p>
<p>Roxanne let go of Megamind and looked at him confused. “Did I?”</p>
<p>Megamind sighed. “Yeah.” He then shook his head changing the subject. “Roxanne, you’ve been acting strange lately, and now you can’t remember if you took your phone with you! Are you sure you’re okay?”</p>
<p>“Really, I’m fine. But there’s something I have to tell you.” Roxanne tried to ease him.</p>
<p>Megamind’s brilliant green eyes darted from side to side with confusion and concern. “What is it? Did someone hurt you?”</p>
<p>“No. But I need somewhere quiet to tell you. Where’s Minion and Gaia?” She asked.</p>
<p>“In the lair. Minion’s helping her with the hoverboard so that it can be disguised as a skateboard.” Roxanne held onto Megamind’s gloved hand and led him to somewhere quiet.</p>
<p>Roxanne had led Megamind to the fake observatory on the roof and looked at him with a half-hearted smile. Megamind on the other hand began to look terrified. “Roxanne, you’re starting to scare me now!”</p>
<p>“I’m pregnant.” She murmured with a smile.</p>
<p>Megamind’s eyes widened and his mouth gaped open. “Wha… what?”</p>
<p>Roxanne laughed nervously. “Code: I’m having a baby.” She then grabbed a gloved hand and placed it onto the lower part of her tummy. “We’re having a baby.”</p>
<p>Megamind’s face relaxed and looked to where his hand was now. “Is this true? Is this why you were gone and forgot to take your phone with you? Is this why you’ve been sick lately?” He then knelt in front of Roxanne and stared at her belly that now seemed to possess a small bump. “How far along are you?”</p>
<p>“Two and a half months.” Roxanne then plucked out a picture from her handbag and gave it to Megamind.</p>
<p>Megamind looked at the picture and saw his unborn child for the first time. He smiled happily as he noted that the child had inherited his giant blue head. “Another little blue! I can’t believe it!” Megamind beamed a smile as his hands now caressed Roxanne’s small bump.</p>
<p>“I’m going to be a dad again!” Megamind them jumped up onto his feet, picked up Roxanne and spun her around while he cheered, and Roxanne giggled. Megamind then planted a swift kiss on Roxanne’s lips and breathed a happy sigh. “Roxanne Ritchie, I am the luckiest man in the world to have you as my wife and the mother of my children!” He then put her down gently. “Now we will have two smart blue children running around the lair!” His voice quickened as he thought out loud. “What if it’s a boy this time? I’ve always wanted a boy, I can teach him how to fix the brain bots and the <em>speeider </em>bot. Oh, and I can teach him how to dehydrate objects at will!”</p>
<p>Roxanne put her hands on her hips and cocked her head to the side. “Whoa, whoa steady on there, cowboy! We don’t even know if this baby is a boy yet. And besides, you don’t even let Gaia do any of that stuff.”</p>
<p>Megamind waved his hands in air the dramatically. “Oh, she’ll learn later on when she’s older, but on the other hand, my boy will learn how to dehydrate things when he’s a few years old! Oh, perhaps he will come with me and fight crime in <em>Metrocity</em> when he grows up! He can take over my hero duties and get his own cape! Perhaps a mini Black Mamba!” Megamind began to look like a child in a candy shop.</p>
<p>Roxanne gaped. “And where does Gaia fit into this genius plan of yours? I thought you wanted her to take over as the Defender of Metro City someday.”</p>
<p>“She’s our little girl, and I don’t want her getting hurt. I want to protect her from the bad in the world. I want her to have a good childhood. She will have nothing to do with being a hero.”</p>
<p>Roxanne crossed her arms and raised an eyebrow at Megamind. “I thought you were certain that Gaia would be destined for greatness, or do I recall that moment in time wrong?”</p>
<p>“She will be destined for greatness, just not as the Defender of <em>Metrocity.</em> Our son will be the new Defender of <em>Metrocity</em> one day.”</p>
<p>“<em>If </em>this baby is a son.”</p>
<p>Little did Roxanne and Megamind know was that young Gaia Ritchie had been sneaking around the lair and had taken the brain bot Indigo with her. She had followed her parents to the fake observatory and remained on the ground floor and listened to the voices echo from above.</p>
<p><em>“She will have nothing to do with being a hero … our son will be the new Defender of Metrocity one day." </em>The words uttered by Megamind stung Gaia like a giant hornet. She looked at Indigo sadly and felt like she was about to burst into tears.</p>
<p>Before she could be discovered, Gaia took Indigo to her bedroom and lay on the bed with the brain bot and cried for nearly an hour. After she stopped crying, she sat up and began to think. Did her parents love her anymore? Her father had promised her a year ago that she would take over his hero duties.<em> "And one day you will take over from me and be the new Defender of Metrocity! No one else would be better than you."</em></p>
<p>Gaia felt betrayed and rejected. This baby was now casting her out to the side, and it wasn't even here yet! She was being replaced. She felt like she had to do something, but what? The sadness of rejection then melted away as Gaia looked up to the ceiling with a smirk growing on her face. She was up to something. <em>‘If I’m destined for greatness, then I’ll show them all what greatness I can do!’</em></p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em>To be continued...</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>Uh oh, poor little Gaia! What is she up to? </em>
  <em>Stay tuned to find out what she'll do.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>If you're liking this story, give it a kudos and a comment. I'd love to hear some feedback from you guys. Take care, and I'll see you soon xxx</em>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0009"><h2>9. Mel-on-cholly</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <em>Hi everyone and welcome back!</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>Let's see what Gaia gets up to in this chapter. Enjoy :) xxx</em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <strong>Chapter 9 – <em>Mel-on-cholly</em></strong>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>The school bell rang and Gaia sat at the front of the class with her elbows propped up on the desk. She stared blankly at the whiteboard as Mrs Whelan explained what a noun and a verb were to the class. Gaia had usually enjoyed being at school and engaged in lessons, but today she felt so empty. Ever since she had heard about the baby, Gaia felt so lost and felt like she no longer held a purpose in her parent’s life, and it started to become apparent in her activities.</p>
<p>Gaia was talented with academic work and was enthused about her education, but recently that was beginning to get effected. She would now stare into space rather than answer questions that the teacher would ask. When she was given homework at the end of the day, she would decide to not do it and wouldn’t tell her parents that she had any to do that night. As a result, she would get in trouble with Mrs Whelan for not doing it and was given warnings about it. Skipping homework became a normal thing for Gaia, and Mrs Whelan had no choice but to hold her back in class at lunchtime so she would do extra study while the other children would eat their lunch and play outside.</p>
<p>Over the last few weeks, Gaia had participated in netball games during the weekends. She remembered in the last two games, her parents didn’t even attend and only Minion had stayed and watched her. In previous games, she would hear her father cheer for her and encourage her to do well when she played. Now when she was on the court, Gaia would get distracted by the absence of encouragement, and would simply look at the bleachers where the parents would sit and would see an empty spot where her parents would usually be. Her distractions had cost her many points in games, and therefore her team had lost the last two games. On more than one occasion, Gaia would look out to the bleachers sadly and then she would feel the netball collide with her face. Miss Carson had no choice but to send her off the court and replace her with another player who could keep focused and score points.</p>
<p>Even at home, when Gaia wanted attention from her parents, they would tell her that they were busy with work and didn’t have time for her. Roxanne wouldn’t tuck her into bed and give her a kiss at night, and her father would brush Gaia off carelessly when he was tinkering in the lair. Gaia would try and impress her parents by tinkering and modifying objects to make them better, and yet she was ignored by her parents. The phrase, ‘not now, Gaia’ was becoming a common saying that rung in the little girl’s ears, and it upset her deeply. As a result, Gaia would either stay in her room for a few hours and listen to music, or she would casually shoot her netball through a hoop that her father had made for her to practice with.</p>
<p>Her parents weren’t the only ones that began to pay less attention to the little blue girl. Minion was wrapped up in his own fishy world, as he was always busy in the kitchen experimenting with culinary delights, and her Uncle Wayne and Aunty Vida wouldn’t take her out to Metro City Park so she could ride her father’s old tricycle, saying that they didn’t have time to do it. Gaia had figured out that the pair were going out and spending time together by taking frequent road trips outside of town and going out to fancy restaurants. She had tried to get attention from everyone, reminding them that she was destined for something great, but her efforts were in vain. For the first time in her life, she felt alone and not cared for. She was nothing.</p>
<p>“Now I have your test results for the little history quiz you did last week.” Mrs Whelan began handing out papers to each student. “Some of us did really well.” Mrs Whelan finally came to face Gaia and planted the paper on her desk. “While some of us need to do a little bit more study.”  Gaia picked up her paper and saw a big fat ‘F’ in red writing.</p>
<p>“Fail?” Gaia questioned. She then heard Sadie Howard and her friends at the back of the classroom laughing at her. Mrs Whelan immediately told them to be quiet.</p>
<p>“I’m sorry, Gaia. It mustn’t have been your day when you sat the test.” The middle-aged teacher looked at the blue girl with sympathy and bobbed down to meet her green eyes. “This is the third test that you’ve failed in class. This isn’t like you Gaia; you’re a bright little girl and you know that. Is there anything that’s troubling you? You can tell me.” Mrs Whelan. Gaia looked into her lap sadly and shook her head slowly.</p>
<p>As the school bell rang to signal the end of the day, Mrs Whelan had asked the children to complete their homework before the due date. As the children ran out of the classroom, Gaia was packing her schoolbooks quietly. She put her schoolbag on and walked out of the classroom and down the halls.</p>
<p>“OW!” Gaia felt someone harshly nudge her shoulder and she grabbed herself protectively.</p>
<p>“You’re not so smart now, are you?” Sadie and her group of friends cornered Gaia near a set of hall lockers as they laughed at her.</p>
<p>“Go away, Sadie.” Gaia adjusted her schoolbag and attempted to walk away from Sadie and her group of friends. She then felt a pair of hands grab onto her bag and slip it off her shoulders. “Hey!”</p>
<p>“You don’t turn your back on me, you little freak!” Sadie growled as she made Gaia look into her brown eyes.</p>
<p>“Give my bag back!” Gaia pleaded.</p>
<p>Sadie cocked her head and smirked. “Or what? It’s not like you’ll need it since you suck at school.” Gaia reached out to her bag, but Sadie tossed her bag to one of her friends, who then tossed it to another girl. The group laughed at Gaia, and the little blue girl felt tears threaten to fall on her face. “Oh, are you gonna cry now?” Sadie taunted her as her friends continued to laugh. “God, you’re such a loser.”</p>
<p>“Haha, Little Mind is a loser!” One of Sadie’s friends commented nastily.</p>
<p>“Don’t call me Little Mind!” Gaia growled with a wobbly voice.</p>
<p>“Little Mind. Little Mind. Little Mind.” Sadie and her friends chanted mockingly at her.</p>
<p>“Stop it!”</p>
<p>“What’s going on down there?” A male teacher’s voice called out as they heard the small commotion in the corridor.</p>
<p>Sadie then grabbed the schoolbag from her friend and threw at Gaia roughly, making the little girl catch it and bang herself into the metal locker doors, making her wince. “Here. Take your stupid bag.” The young bully gazed at Gaia up and down, as if eying her up as prey. “We’ll see you tomorrow… Little Mind.” Sadie and her group of friends promptly left Gaia on her own before the male teacher could figure out what was going on.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>XXX</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Hello?” Vida sat in her office as she answered her mobile phone.</p>
<p>
  <em>“Hey it’s me.” </em>
</p>
<p>Vida smiled as she relaxed in her chair and spoke to Wayne. “Hello, me. How are you?”</p>
<p>
  <em>“Better now I’m talking to the most beautiful ray of sunshine in the world.”</em>
</p>
<p>Vida giggled like a little schoolgirl. “Wayne, you flatter me.”</p>
<p>
  <em>“Hey it’s true! Anyway, I was ringing to ask you something.”</em>
</p>
<p>“Yes?”</p>
<p>
  <em>“My parents are having a small dinner party with some friends tonight, and they’re wondering if you’d like to come.”</em>
</p>
<p>Vida laughed a little. “That’s sweet, Wayne. But I don’t finish work until late tonight, I wouldn’t want to be late and let everyone go hungry because of me. I’ll see you back home.”</p>
<p>
  <em>“No seriously, my parents insisted. They are dying to introduce you to their friends, you know how much they’ve wanted to see me with a girlfriend. And besides, I can pick you up from work and we can head straight there. What time do you finish?”</em>
</p>
<p>Vida looked at her watch and saw that it was 3:30pm. “Probably not until 6. I have some paperwork to do, and I don’t even have anything nice to wear.”</p>
<p>
  <em>“Ah that’s not too late, and don’t put yourself down, my sunshine. You always look great.”</em>
</p>
<p>Vida sighed and then smiled. “Thanks. Alright then, I’ll come to dinner tonight.”</p>
<p><em>“Perfect!”</em> Vida could hear Wayne’s excitement through the phone. <em>“I’ll pick you up around 6 o’clock then!”</em></p>
<p>“Okay.” A swift knock was heard at the door and Vida almost jumped out of her seat. “Oh, someone’s at my office, I gotta go.”</p>
<p><em>“I love you.”</em> Wayne murmured.</p>
<p>“I love you too. Bye.” Vida then hung up and placed her phone to the side. She tried to compose herself as she straightened out her jacket and skirt. “Come in.” Mrs Whelan stepped in and greeted her younger boss. “Jodie. What brings you here?”</p>
<p>“May I have a word, Vida? I have some concerns about one of my students.” Jodie Whelan said.</p>
<p>“Which one may I ask?”</p>
<p>“Gaia Ritchie.”</p>
<p>Vida nodded her head. “Of course, take a seat.”</p>
<p>Jodie shut the door behind her and sat in the seat opposite of Vida. “I’m worried about that little girl. As you well know, Gaia is the smartest student in her year and achieves high grades with every test and homework assignment she does. But lately she’s been skipping her homework tasks and has been failing tests.”</p>
<p>Vida’s face became full of concern. “That’s not like her at all. When did you notice her grades starting to slip?” She asked the middle-aged woman.</p>
<p>“Only in the last few weeks. She doesn’t want to tell me what’s troubling her.”</p>
<p>Vida placed a finger on her chin in deep thought. “You’re not the only one who has come to me with concerns about Gaia. Her netball coach, Miss Carson has told me that Gaia isn’t performing well on the junior netball team.”</p>
<p>Jodie Whelan looked at Vida with narrowed brows full of concern. “Is there anything you can do? She seems so melancholy.”</p>
<p>Vida inhaled deeply. “I’ll speak to Megamind and Roxanne about this and figure out what’s going on.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>XXX</p>
<p> </p>
<p>The weekends were always comforting for Gaia, as she didn’t have to see her local school bully for two days. The week that had passed had been one of the worst times Gaia had experienced in school: Sadie Howard and her small group of soft-headed friends had been verbally bullying Gaia at school and had literally pushed her around for the last few days, and Gaia became afraid to speak up and tell her teachers what was going on. She didn’t quite know what to do, or who to speak to. After all, Gaia didn’t really have any friends in school that she could talk to. Vida was always with Wayne, Minion was busy in the kitchen, and her parents were focusing on the child that Roxanne carried within her. At least she could talk to her favourite brain bot about how she felt about her life. It wasn’t the same as human interaction, but Gaia was glad that Indigo would listen to her problems and simply ‘bowg’ at the little girl in response, letting her know that she was being listened to.</p>
<p>Lately she would spend more time in her room than interact with her parents, especially since they had told her off for failing tests and not doing homework when she was supposed to. Vida had talked to Megamind and Roxanne the day before, expressing concern for the little girl and asked what was going on. Gaia had sneaked into the lair and had heard the conversation take place the day Vida visited.</p>
<p>
  <em>“Roxie, I’m concerned about Gaia at school.”</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>“Why what’s happened? Has someone bullied her again!? I’ll go and dehydrate them now!” Megamind’s voice boomed.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>“No, Megamind! It’s nothing to do with that.”</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>“Oh, well that’s a relief!”</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>“It’s to do with her grades. Her teacher, Mrs Whelan says that she hasn’t been doing homework tasks and has been failing tests in school. Her netball coach has noticed that she isn’t doing too well on the junior team either.”</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>“What? That’s not like her!” Roxanne said with surprise.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>Vida had hummed in reply. “I just wanted to know if everything has been okay at home, and if anything has changed. I just want to be clear that no one has reported any bullying towards Gaia, and she hasn’t said anything to her teachers.”</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>“No, there’s nothing that I can think of.”</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>“But we will keep an eye on her in the meantime.” Megamind stated.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>“Vida, while you’re here, we want to tell you something.” Roxanne spoke.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>“Yes?” Vida asked.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>“Megamind and I, we’re going to… to have another baby.”</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>Vida gasped in surprise. “Oh my god, Roxanne! That’s such good news, I’m so happy for you guys! How far along are you?”</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>“Three months.” Megamind said happily.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>“Aww.” Vida then hitched her breath. “Wait, does Gaia know about this?”</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>“No, we don’t want to tell her until I’m four months.” Roxanne said.</em>
</p>
<p>Little Gaia sat on her bedroom floor as Indigo laid next to her as if she were a dog. She watched as a dead-eyed plastic bird toy bobbed up and down from a glass of water. In that moment, Gaia felt like the bird toy: purposeless, empty, and stuck in a vacuum. She was her parent’s little girl, and now all of that was about to change. She felt like she had been pushed to the side without a second thought.</p>
<p>Indigo picked up Gaia’s behaviour and nudged her side. “Bowg.”</p>
<p>“Hey, Indy.” Gaia said sadly. The ‘youngest’ brain bot looked at Gaia with her big red round eye in a sad fashion. “I know. I just feel so empty and unhappy, like no one is paying attention to me anymore. Daddy would say that I’m feeling <em>mel-on-cholly.</em>” Gaia turned to face Indy. “Do you feel <em>mel-on-cholly</em>, Indy?” Indigo raised her mechanical arms up as if to say, ‘I don’t know’. Gaia sighed sadly. “Why am I asking you?” Gaia thought to herself. She then crossed her arms and legs in a defeated manner. Indigo then hovered across the bedroom and fetched something. Gaia lifted her head and saw a wrench in Indigo’s metal jaws. “No I don’t want to play with the wrench today, Indy.” She spoke sadly.</p>
<p>Indigo dropped the wrench in front of the little girl and hovered across the room again. “Bowg.” Gaia stared and saw Indigo holding a CD in both of her mechanical hands. On the CD were the words ‘Hard Rock Songs’. Gaia’s green eyes lit up immediately and she stood up to grab the CD from Indigo.</p>
<p>“Yeah, you’re right. If no one is paying attention to me, then I’ll have to make them listen!” A mischievous smirk grew on her face and she ran to the CD player and pressed the play button.</p>
<p>The first song played was <em>‘(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction’ </em>by the Rolling Stones, and as the song played, Gaia turned the volume up loud to the point of it being deafening. Gaia then grabbed both of Indigo’s mechanical arms and began to dance with the brain bot.</p>
<p>“Gaia! Turn it down!” Roxanne’s voice was heard down the corridor faintly. Gaia stopped dancing with Indigo and looked at her closed door with a sulk. She then walked over to where her CD player was and lowered the volume of the music.</p>
<p>Gaia then gazed at the CD player intently. “Turn it up?” She smirked wickedly and cranked up the volume even more. “Sure!” She then switched the song to <em>‘Dude Looks Like A Lady’</em> by Aerosmith and grabbed Indigo by the arms and danced again.</p>
<p>“Gaia!” Roxanne yelled against the music. Gaia didn’t listen and continued to dance wildly to the music. She then quickly changed the song to <em>‘If You Want Blood (You’ve Got It)’ </em>by AC/DC, and pretended to play the electric guitar whilst rocking her head back and forth. Gaia wanted to push the boundaries even further by making the rock music even more intense. She then switched the song to <em>‘American Idiot’</em> by Green Day, and began to dance wildly to the intense electric guitar.</p>
<p>“GAIA ANDROMEDA RITCHIE!” Megamind yelled as he and Roxanne swung the door open. Gaia knew that her parents meant business when they used her full name. Megamind rushed over to the CD player and stopped the music.</p>
<p>“What on earth do you think you’re doing!?” Her mother spoke with fury in her voice. “I told you to turn it down, your father is working and I’m trying to have some peace and quiet!” Gaia crossed her arms defensively and gave Roxanne a nasty look. “Don’t look at me with that face, young lady! First your grades begin to slip and you’re not doing well on the netball team, and now this!”</p>
<p>“I can’t have fun now!?” Gaia retorted.</p>
<p>“Don’t speak to your mother like that! You’ve crossed the line, Gaia!” Megamind raised his voice as he looked down at his daughter. “You’re not allowed in the lair for two weeks!”</p>
<p>“WHAT?”</p>
<p>“Code: you’re grounded!” Megamind made it clear for her.</p>
<p>“That’s not fair! You can’t do that!” Gaia threw her arms up in defeat, as she looked at her father with wide green eyes.</p>
<p>“I just did! Indigo, come with me. Now!” He commanded the brain bot.</p>
<p>As her parents and Indigo left, Gaia screamed loudly, and she kicked her bed in annoyance.</p>
<p>Two weeks of misery had passed, and Gaia started to become a grumpy little girl. At home she would barely talk to her parents or Minion, and she wouldn’t interact with other children as much at school. Mrs Whelan had picked up on Gaia’s changing demeanour and grew concerned for her, and being the caring woman that she was told Vida about her behaviour. Both teachers hoped that today’s trip to the Megamind Museum would cheer up the blue girl and help her get back on track with her schoolwork and netball performance.</p>
<p>Gaia sat on her own on the school bus that travelled to the museum, and she looked out the window sadly.</p>
<p>“Oh look, girls. It’s the little blue freak sitting on her own.” Sadie Howard’s voice was heard behind Gaia. Sadie’s friends then laughed at her.</p>
<p>“Leave me alone, Sadie.” Gaia spoke sadly.</p>
<p>“Or what? Your dad will dehydrate me?” Sadie mocked. Gaia turned around and faced Sadie angrily. “Ooo, somebody’s angry! Did I touch a nerve, Little Mind?”</p>
<p>“Girls, what’s going on here?” Mrs Whelan walked towards the group of girls.</p>
<p>Gaia pointed a blue finger at Sadie accusingly. “She started it, Mrs Whelan.”</p>
<p>“As if!” Sadie retorted.</p>
<p>“You did!”</p>
<p>“No, I didn’t!”</p>
<p>Mrs Whelan spoke again. “Enough, both of you. I don’t want any trouble from you two on this trip and need you on your best behaviour.”</p>
<p>All of the children, Mrs Whelan and another teacher named Mrs Stanford stepped off the bus and were greeted by a slim man with wild brown hair and round glasses who looked as though he was bored. “Hello everyone. Welcome to the Megamind Museum, my name is Bernard and I will be your tour guide around the museum.” He said in his nasally tone.</p>
<p>“Remember children, please pay attention to what Bernard has to say, and ask him lots of questions while we are here, okay?”</p>
<p>“Yes, Mrs Whelan.” All of the children spoke.</p>
<p>Bernard , Mrs Whelan and Mrs Stanford took the children inside of the museum and began the tour. There was a small section of the museum dedicated to Megamind’s previous life of villainy, and Bernard decided to be extremely brief with this section as the children were there to see how Megamind was a hero.</p>
<p>“Now we are in the Doom Syndicate section. Who can tell me who the members of the Doom Syndicate were? Yes, you in the back.” Bernard pointed to a brown-haired girl with a bored expression.</p>
<p>“Oh um, Psycho Delic, the Destruction Worker, Hot Flash and Lady Doppler!” Sadie Howard spoke.</p>
<p>“Yes. After Megamind defeated them, he placed their outfits here for display. But of course, Lady Doppler‘s outfit is only a replica and not the real thing since she escaped Metro City.”</p>
<p>Gaia looked at the outfits of the Doom Syndicate and touched the glass casings that contained each suit. Hot Flash’s suit was black with a pink flame, had pink gloves and pink fishnet stockings. The Destruction Worker had a bright orange work suit and a construction cone as a hat. Psycho Delic’s outfit was a purple dress shirt and black pants with a big purple jacket that was decorated with white faux fur, his outfit came with a cane and a large brimmed purple hat. Lady Doppler’s replica outfit was orange and blue with a white belt and boots, and blue gloves.</p>
<p>By the glass casings were drawings of each villain, and Gaia studied the images carefully. Hot Flash looked like an older woman who possessed bright pink flaming hair. The Destruction Worker looked as though he was a cyborg-like creature with construction tools as hands. Psycho Delic had purple skin and was a thin skeleton-like creature that couldn’t possibly be human, and Lady Doppler was a woman with loose blonde hair that freely blew in the wind, and Gaia noted that she didn’t have any colour in her eyes – they were completely white and looked almost lifeless.</p>
<p>“Let’s move along, children.” Mrs Whelan guided everyone away from the displays.</p>
<p>Gaia felt a knock on her shoulder and hissed at the slight pain she felt. “Your dad isn’t that cool, he didn’t put Lady Doppler in jail. She’s still out there.” Sadie spoke as she passed Gaia. Gaia gritted her teeth as she held onto her shoulder.</p>
<p>Gaia decided to lag behind the group and gazed at Sadie with daggers. She had an idea to try and get the bully in trouble, but she wasn’t sure if it would work. Gaia tapped her black watch and set it to scan mode. She then pointed the watch towards Sadie and watched it scan her body, everything from her long brown hair down to her pale skin, green dress, brown jacket and grey canvas shoes. Gaia had only used the holo-watch a handful of times when she was at the movies and the local theme park with her teammates from netball. Megamind had set disguises for her to use, but this was the first time that she had scanned someone for a disguise. Gaia hadn't told anyone that she had figured out how to use the scan mode on the watch.</p>
<p>“Now can anyone tell me who does this suit belong to?” Bernard’s dull tone echoed in the museum. All of the children looked and saw an orange and white suit displayed in the glass casing with a photograph of the villain next to it.</p>
<p>Gaia had re-joined the group and put her hand up to answer. “Tighten.”</p>
<p>“Yes. Tighten was Megamind’s arch-enemy and defeated him eight years ago after taking away his powers. When Tighten was defeated, Megamind became the new Defender of Metro City succeeding Metro Man –“</p>
<p>“After Gaia’s dad killed Metro Man!” Sadie blurted out. All of the children gasped.</p>
<p>Gaia’s brows furrowed. “He didn’t do that!” She argued.</p>
<p>Sadie crossed her arms confidently as she eyed up Gaia. “Besides, Metro Man was way cooler than what you, or your dad will ever be. You’re both blue freaks!”</p>
<p>Gaia growled and lunged at Sadie, tackling the girl to the ground. The girl’s classmates gathered around the pair and watched them as they fought. Sadie tugged onto Gaia’s short brown hair as she wrestled with her. The pair rolled on the ground as they held each other, and Gaia managed to straddle on top of Sadie. Gaia then grabbed the neck of Sadie’s green dress, and her other hand balled up into a fist and let it collide with Sadie’s cheek three times. Sadie cried out and grabbed onto Gaia’s hair tighter, making the blue girl scream in pain. Sadie took advantage and rolled Gaia onto her back, Sadie took the opportunity and punched her squarely in the face.</p>
<p>“Girls stop this!” Mrs Whelan shouted and grabbed Sadie’s arm and yanked her away from Gaia. Despite being startled by the fight, Bernard grabbed onto Gaia and stopped her from lunging at Sadie again.</p>
<p>“You bully! I hate you!” Gaia screamed as she tried to wriggle out of Bernard’s grasp. Sadie poked her tongue out tauntingly and laughed at the blue girl, as her lip began to bleed.</p>
<p>“Enough!” Mrs Whelan’s voice boomed amongst everyone. Mrs Whelan looked at the other children. “Mrs Stanford, Bernard, please continue the tour with the children.” The middle-aged teacher then gazed at the two troublemakers darkly. “Gaia. Sadie, you will return to school with me now!”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em>To be continued...</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>Well, well, well. I think we can all agree that Sadie got what she deserved ... but now Gaia is in deep trouble *sighs*</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>Stay tuned to find out what happens to this smart, but rebellious little girl.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>If you're liking this story, be sure to give it a kudos and comment. I'd love to hear what you guys think of my first ever story. Take care :) xxx</em>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0010"><h2>10. Bad to the Bone</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <em>Hello everyone, and welcome to Chapter 10. Enjoy :) xxx</em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <strong>Chapter 10 – Bad to the Bone</strong>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Gaia Ritchie and Sadie Howard sat outside of Vida McCleod’s office while Mrs Whelan stood and supervised them, making sure that the girls wouldn’t fight again. Gaia couldn’t bear to look at Sadie, mainly because she hated the young girl and that she now had a swollen cheek and a bust lip. Gaia seemed to fair better than Sadie and only had a cut on her lip.</p>
<p>The office door opened and Vida met them with a stern expression. “Girls, I’ll see you both now.” Mrs Whelan guided them both into the office and gestured for them to sit down and face their principal. She then left the office and shut the door. “What on earth happened today?” Vida began angrily at her students. She was in no mood for sweet talking. “This was supposed to be a school trip, and I expected both of you to be on your best behaviour, especially you, Sadie.” Sadie scrunched up a face that looked as if to say ‘what the heck?’ “And you, Gaia. Never did I expect this sort of behaviour from the brightest student in the year.”</p>
<p>Gaia’s mouth gaped open and she pointed a finger at Sadie. “She started it –“</p>
<p>“Did not!” Sadie retorted.</p>
<p>“Did too!”</p>
<p>“Did not!”</p>
<p>“Be quiet both of you!” Vida raised her voice. “Your actions today are completely unacceptable and reflect on the school badly. I have called your parents and told them everything.”</p>
<p>The office door burst open with Roxanne and a red-haired woman entering the room with a furious look on their faces. “Sadie Jean Howard, what have you done!?” Sadie’s mother spoke.</p>
<p>“Gaia Andromeda Ritchie, what’s gotten into you!?” Roxanne spoke to her daughter angrily.</p>
<p>Vida put her hands out calmly. “Ladies please, calm down and take a seat.” Both women did as instructed and looked to Vida for answers. “Roxanne, Jennifer, thank you for taking the time out of your work schedules to come here. I understand that my phone call to you would have come as a surprise. As you both know, today was a school trip, but unfortunately Sadie and Gaia let the school down by getting into a fight at the Megamind Museum.”</p>
<p>“I told you Sadie started it! She bullied me on the bus and called me a blue freak!” Gaia shouted.</p>
<p>“Quiet, Gaia!” Roxanne growled as she held onto her daughter’s arm roughly.</p>
<p>“She punched me first! Look what she did to me. She’s a little brat!” Sadie said defensively as she pointed to her cheek.</p>
<p>“Sadie!” Jennifer growled her.</p>
<p>“You were asking for it, you bully!” Gaia yelled.</p>
<p>“Girls, girls!” Vida calmed them. Gaia crossed her arms and frowned. “I don’t care who started it. Your behaviour is unacceptable, and I will not tolerate it. Therefore, I must make an example of you two girls to the rest of the school. You give me no choice but to suspend both of you for three days.”</p>
<p>“What!” Sadie and Gaia said simultaneously.</p>
<p>“And before you leave today, I want you two to look each other in the eye and apologize.”</p>
<p>Gaia lifted her head and her eyes met with Sadie’s brown ones. “Sorry.” Both of them said with bitterness in their tone.</p>
<p>Vida took a deep breath in and nodded her head to the parents. “You may go now.” Sadie’s mother quickly grabbed her by the arm and dragged her outside of the school. Roxanne and Gaia remained seated as they stared at Vida. “I’m sorry, Roxie. As the principal of this school I have no choice but to suspend Gaia, I must set an example to my other students.” Vida sounded remorseful in a way, as she tucked a stray platinum blonde hair behind her ear.</p>
<p>“It’s fine, Vida, really. Gaia shouldn’t have done what she did in the first place. Right, Gaia?” Roxanne’s blue eyes burned into her daughter's. Her little girl didn’t answer her whose face remained bitter. “I better take her home. I’m sure Megamind will want to speak with her.” Roxanne then stood up with Gaia. “I’ll see you later, Vida.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>XXX</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“You silly bone-headed little girl! I thought we raised you to be better than this.” Megamind lectured his daughter. “Why on earth did you hit her?”</p>
<p>“She was mean to me! She’s always mean to me!” Gaia yelled as she stomped her foot.</p>
<p>“It doesn’t give you the right to do what you did, Blue.” Roxanne interjected.</p>
<p>“Daddy does it all the time when he fights bad guys. I was just fighting a bad guy!”</p>
<p>“Well I don’t want you fighting bad guys, Gaia.” Megamind said.</p>
<p>The little girl’s face scrunched up in anger and she glared daggers at Megamind. “No, you want the baby to fight bad guys when they grow up!” Gaia stated angrily.</p>
<p>“Baby?” Roxanne said with confusion.</p>
<p>“I know about the baby! I heard you and Daddy talking about it. And if it is a boy, he will be the new Defender of Metro City, not me!” Gaia’s face was full of anger.</p>
<p>Roxanne kneeled to face her daughter. “Is this what this is all about? Why you are so angry? All this bad behaviour and failure at school? Because you know about the baby?” Gaia looked to the side as if confirming Roxanne’s words. She then grabbed her shoulders gently and spoke softly. “Oh, Blue, why didn’t you say anything to us?”</p>
<p>“It doesn’t justify what she’s done, Roxanne. She’s harmed a girl. If anything, this proves to us that she will never be the Defender of <em>Metrocity</em>.”</p>
<p>Gaia began to cry. “I knew it! You promised me that I'd be the new Defender of Metro City one day, you lied to me! You don’t love me anymore!” She then ran away to her bedroom sobbing uncontrollably.</p>
<p>“Gaia, wait!” Roxanne looked at her husband with disappointment. “Well that was handled well, Megamind.”</p>
<p>For the first two days of suspension, Gaia stayed in her bedroom and played sad songs that reflected her current emotions of sorrow and loneliness. Her parents barely spoke to her, only saying hello and goodbye as they left home to go out. Wayne and Vida didn’t even attempt to visit her. Indigo had visited Gaia in her room and tried to cheer her up by getting her to play with a wrench, but every time her efforts failed. Minion, being the happy soul he was, had even tried to encourage the blue girl to get out of her bedroom and find something to do, but even he failed to rouse her. Minion expressed concern for the little girl, but Megamind insisted that she needed to learn that she was in the wrong and her actions had consequences. As punishment for her actions, Megamind had banned her from going into the lair and tinkering with objects that she had been working on previously. And to make sure that she wouldn’t sneak off into the lair at night, he had locked the door. The little blue girl felt so empty and all she could do was cry and cry all day.</p>
<p>On the third day, Gaia woke up in her room with her blue binky next to her. She rubbed her eyes open as she heard the door slowly open, and Gaia saw Pinky hovering in mid-air while she stared at the girl with her giant red eye. “Bowg.”</p>
<p>“I know, I know. I’m coming.” Gaia groaned as she got out of bed.</p>
<p>Pinky escorted Gaia into the kitchen and watched as Minion cooked bacon and eggs, while Roxanne quickly grabbed a piece of toast. Gaia sat down at the kitchen bench and placed both elbows on the bench and rested her giant blue head in her hands.</p>
<p>“Good morning, Gaia.”</p>
<p>“Morning, Uncle Minion.” Gaia said sadly.</p>
<p>“And where do you think you’re going, Ms Ritchie.” Megamind had swooped Roxanne into his arms and smiled flirtatiously.</p>
<p>Roxanne laughed with a piece of toast still in her mouth. She swallowed before she spoke. “If you must know, I’m going to work. And then later I’m going to have another scan.”</p>
<p>Megamind’s eyes lit up. “A scan! You must tell me when you’re going today, I don’t want to miss it!”</p>
<p>“I’ll let you know, but you gotta let me go to work, I’m running late. I’ll see you later.” Roxanne kissed her husband quickly and she left in a haste without saying goodbye to Gaia whose face screwed up bitterly.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>XXX</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Well hello there, Temptress. You look like you need a ride.” Megamind had rolled down the window of the invisible car and greeted her in the late afternoon.</p>
<p>Roxanne opened the car door and hopped in. “Well, am I glad to see you!” She gave him a quick but passionate kiss.</p>
<p>“I’m just too handsome for you to resist.” Megamind flirted as he put the car into drive mode.</p>
<p>“Speak for yourself.”</p>
<p>“Anyway, let’s get to the hospital, I can’t wait to see our little blue baby!”</p>
<p>Roxanne and Megamind waited in the maternity clinic nervously until they were called. In the meantime, Megamind couldn’t keep his hands off Roxanne’s small bump and smiled at her lovingly.</p>
<p>“Roxanne Ritchie?” A midwife called out. Roxanne stood up and held onto Megamind’s hand as the midwife escorted them into a private room. “So, is this your second baby?” The midwife asked.</p>
<p>“Yes.” Both parents answered keenly, as Roxanne laid back on the bed and Megamind sat beside her, holding onto her hand.</p>
<p>“What are we hoping to have this time round?” The midwife smiled.</p>
<p>“An incredibly handsome little man!” Megamind said proudly.</p>
<p>“<em>He </em>wants a son; I’m not fussed either way.” Roxanne said.</p>
<p>The midwife put on her gloves and asked Roxanne to lift her shirt. She then squirted some cold liquid gel onto her belly and readied the ultrasound. “Well today’s the day that we get to find out, if we want?” Roxanne and Megamind nodded their heads wanting to know. The midwife then placed the ultrasound on Roxanne’s belly and moved it around to find where the baby was positioned. An image quickly popped up on the screen showing a giant head connected to a little body that was safely nestled inside Roxanne.</p>
<p>“Awe!” Megamind murmured and squeezed onto Roxanne’s hand.</p>
<p>“There’s the little one! And they are looking perfectly healthy.” The midwife spoke happily. “Now let’s find out what you are!” The midwife then began to thoroughly look on the ultrasound for the crucial detail about the baby.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>XXX</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Gaia sat at the dinner table alone with Minion as she played with her spaghetti and meatballs aimlessly. She knew that she should feel excited to be going back to school again, but the thought of returning actually made her sad. She had to show her face to everyone at school, and had to see Sadie Howard once again. No one would look at her the same ever again. She would no longer be the academic nerd who was the star goal attack player on the junior netball team, she would be the bad girl that got suspended for fighting with Sadie Howard during a school trip.</p>
<p>“Gaia, you’ve barely touched your food. Is everything okay?” Minion asked her.</p>
<p>Gaia shrugged her shoulders. “I don’t know. I don’t wanna go back to school.”</p>
<p>“Hey, don’t say that, you love school, you always have!” Minion said brightly.</p>
<p>“Yeah.” Gaia watched as she twirled her fork around pieces of spaghetti. “Where’s Mommy and Daddy?” She wondered with little concern.</p>
<p>“They should be back soon, Little Blue. Now are you gonna eat that or just play with it all night?” Minion raised an eyebrow.</p>
<p>She then pushed her plate away and looked down in her lap. “I’m not really hungry tonight, Uncle Minion. Can I go back to my room please?”</p>
<p>Minion hummed. “Alright then, off you go.”</p>
<p>Gaia went back to her room and got dressed in a pair of red pyjamas and played Michael Jackson’s ‘<em>Bad’</em> album on a low volume. All day Gaia had been playing soft rock songs loud enough that Minion could hear them from the lair. Minion tolerated her loud music and didn’t even bother to ask her to turn it down. She was already in a grumpy mood with her parents. Minion wasn’t keen to join that band wagon, and opted to let her do what she wanted in her room.</p>
<p>The sound of the invisible car pulled into the lair and the next thing Gaia heard was her father cheering loudly and calling out for Minion. Gaia paused her music and opened her bedroom door so that she could hear what was going on. “Minion! Minion!” Megamind yelled out.</p>
<p>“Sir, what is it?”</p>
<p>“Oh, Minion! Today is one of the best days of my life!” Megamind said excitedly and let out one of his characteristic laughs. “I’m going to have a son!”</p>
<p>“<em>We </em>are going to have a son” Roxanne corrected him.</p>
<p>“Sir, that’s wonderful news! Will you tell Gaia about it?” He wondered.</p>
<p>“Oh, she doesn’t need to know about it, she already knows enough! She’s already jealous that he will take over my hero duties one day.” Megamind said.</p>
<p>Gaia’s face went red with envy and had heard enough and slammed the door angrily. She walked over to her CD player and switched the discs to ‘Hard Rock Songs’. “I don’t need to know!? We shall see about that!” She said angrily. She pressed the play button and <em>‘Bad Reputation’ </em>by Joan Jett and the Blackhearts began to play loudly.</p>
<p>“Not again! Gaia!” Roxanne yelled against the music.</p>
<p>Gaia didn’t listen and quickly changed the song to <em>‘Na Na Na’</em> by My Chemical Romance and danced wildly on her bed. Gaia then changed the song to <em>‘Smells Like Teen Spirit’</em> by Nirvana and cranked up the volume to maximum. She continued to bounce on top of her bed and pretended to play the electric guitar. Gaia didn’t hear the footsteps approaching her bedroom door until it was too late. Her father kicked her door open and yelled at her. “GAIA ANDROMEDA RITCHIE! Go to bed now!” He was angry.</p>
<p>“No!” Gaia rebelled as she yelled against the music.</p>
<p>“Now, Gaia!” Megamind switched off the music player.</p>
<p>“No!”</p>
<p>Megamind growled and grabbed Gaia’s arm tightly and yanked her off the bed. “You are a bad little girl, and it’s past your bedtime!”</p>
<p>“Bad to the bone, Daddy?” Gaia smiled at him cheekily, but Megamind was far from amused as he forcefully put her into bed and placed the covers over her.</p>
<p>“You asked for it, Gaia! You are no longer allowed in the lair for the rest of the year.”</p>
<p>“No, Daddy!” Gaia began to cry.</p>
<p>Megamind grabbed hold of the bedroom door and pointed a gloved finger at his daughter. “You are trouble, young lady. I thought we learnt our lesson after being suspended from <em>shool</em>. Now go to sleep.” Megamind turned the light off and slammed the door hard. Gaia then threw a tantrum and cried for nearly an hour.</p>
<p><em>‘No one likes me anymore. Uncle Wayne and Aunty Vida don’t see me anymore. Mommy and Daddy don’t love me anymore. They have replaced me with this baby. I am a screw up, a bad girl, nothing. The only ones who seem to care a little bit are Uncle Minion and Indy, but it won’t be long until they realise I am nothing.’ </em>Gaia felt hot tears run down her face and she could not get to sleep. She looked at her bedside clock and saw that the time was 10:30pm. The lair and the rest of the house sounded extremely quiet, and Gaia was certain that everyone had gone to bed. A lightbulb then went off in Gaia’s genius mind. <em>‘If they don’t like me anymore, then I’ll leave.’</em></p>
<p>Gaia jumped out of bed and dressed herself in a plain purple skirt, a flowery pink long-sleeved shirt, her warm lilac jacket, black tights and pink converse shoes. She grabbed her school bag and packed it with a few clothes and a packet of sweets. She then put the schoolbag on her back and picked up her blue binky and put it in her pocket, and put on her holo-watch. She quietly opened her bedroom door and peaked her head out to see if anyone was still up or if the brain bots were roaming around. The way was clear and Gaia tip-toed into the direction of the lair.</p>
<p>Gaia saw that the door to the lair was shut and she tried to get it open with her bare hands. She grunted as she tried to get the door open, but it didn’t work. Another lightbulb went off in her head, and she grabbed her blue binky and pointed it at the doorknob. She watched as a glowing blue light omitted from the binky and focused its energy on the door. She then heard a small click and knew that her binky had worked. <em>‘Thank you for showing me this cool trick with the binky, Uncle Minion.’</em> She thought to herself.</p>
<p>She opened the door to see the large lair with a few blue brain bots hovering in the corner seeming to be in sleep mode. She knew that she had to be even more quiet and continued to tip-toe around the lair. Gaia had managed to sneak by some of the brain bots that were hovering around guarding the lair, and she stood by Megamind’s desk. On the desk were the very tools Gaia was looking for: a set of pliers, wire cutters and a screwdriver. She took off her holo-watch and began to unscrew the back of it. She then saw all the wiring inside and figured out which parts of the device she needed to tamper with. “I don’t want anyone to find me, especially Daddy.” She then cut the wires she needed to and put the watch back together. She tapped the device and watched it read <em>‘communicator disabled. GPS tracker disabled.’</em> Gaia then put the pliers, wire cutters and screwdriver in her bag. “Now where’s the hoverboard?” She murmured to herself.</p>
<p>Little Gaia ran around the lair quietly trying to find where her father may have put the very same hoverboard that he had used at the Metro City Games. She turned a corner and found exactly what she was looking for, but something else had caught her brilliant green eyes. Gaia stopped and stared at a golden glowing object in the shape of a large gun that was encased in glass. She seemed to remember this object, and her mind quickly flashed back to when she was a toddler. She remembered playing with Indigo in the lair and knocking over a large gun with her tiny feet, which seemed to cause panic. She approached it and saw words engraved at the bottom of the casing. <em>‘Defuser Gun. Contains Essence of Metro Man. DO NOT TOUCH.’</em></p>
<p>“Essence of Metro Man?” Gaia wondered out loud.</p>
<p>“Bowg, bowg.” A blue brain bot was heard nearby, and Gaia gasped thinking that she had been caught. Thankfully for the little blue girl, the brain bots didn’t even turn the corner and hovered past where Gaia was. She took the close call as a warning and picked up the hoverboard quickly and made a dash for the concealed exit.</p>
<p>Gaia had successfully made it outside of her home and looked up into the night sky and the city lights ahead of her. Ahead she could hear was sirens blazing and car horns beeping. Gaia quickly hopped onto the hoverboard making it switch on and made a dash towards the city. She wasn’t sure where she was going, but she was sure that anywhere would be better than home. After all, home was a place where you were loved right?</p>
<p>Half an hour later, young Gaia Ritchie made it into the downtown area of Metro City and found that it was quiet for a Thursday night. Despite it being so quiet, she wasn’t keen to draw attention to herself, and disguised the hoverboard into a skateboard and activated the holo-watch so she was disguised as Sadie Howard, who had worn a green dress and brown jacket the day Gaia had copied her body. The only thing that could possibly give Gaia away was her brilliant green eyes and voice that were not concealed by the watch.</p>
<p>Thunder was heard up above and Gaia felt spots of rain fall from the sky. She wrapped her hands around herself and began to search for an area to shelter from the cold. She turned her head and saw a small alleyway that was lined with dumpster bins and thought it best to hide here. She placed her school bag and the disguised hoverboard against the brick wall and sat next to them heavily. She held her knees up to her chest and put her head into her lap. She then began to sob uncontrollably for nearly an hour as the rain poured down onto her through a hole in a roof, Gaia had made sure that her holo-watch was kept dry by her jacket so the disguise would still work.</p>
<p>People had walked past the dark alleyway unaware of a small child on her own, as the thunder and rain muted her sobs. Gaia was beginning to feel the cold night and she began to shiver, she wrapped her arms around herself tightly to try and stay warm. The rain began to die down into a little shower and Gaia’s sobs could be heard from the main street if anyone was nearby. Gaia could feel that her eyes were warm and puffy, and her cold nose was runny.</p>
<p>“Hello?” A man’s voice called out into the alleyway. Gaia gasped and shuffled on the ground trying to hide from the voice. “Is anybody there?” The voice got closer to Gaia. She began to panic and pushed herself against the dumpster nearby to hide from the light. “Hello?” The voice called out again. The young girl watched as a shadowy figure with a torch in one hand and an umbrella in the other walked past her. The man scanned the alleyway with his torch looking for any sign of life. while Gaia remained quiet. He stopped at the end of the alleyway. “Damn alley cats.” The figure then turned around and his torchlight shined in Gaia’s disguised face. Panic immediately began to course through her body, and she backed up against the dumpster bin. “Whoa, whoa, it’s okay, it’s okay.” The man tried to calm her. “I won’t hurt you, little girl.” Gaia looked at the shadow up and down trying to find out who this person was. “I’ll put the torch down, okay.” The figure then placed it on the ground, so the light was shining into the sky, and the man bobbed down to meet her height. Gaia adjusted her green eyes and saw a mop of red hair hidden underneath a baseball cap that belonged to a short man who wore a brown jacket, green t-shirt, and blue jeans. “There, you can see me now.” He reassured her. Gaia kept her gaze on the strange man. “What are you doing out here alone in the rain?” He wondered. The man positioned the umbrella so that he and Gaia were sheltered from the droplets of rain.</p>
<p>“It doesn’t matter. Nobody cares.” Gaia said bitterly as she became defensive in her body language.</p>
<p>“I care. What’s your name, little girl?”</p>
<p>“Gaia.” She murmured.</p>
<p>“Gaia? That’s a pretty name.” There was a long pause, and the only sounds were the thunder above and a few cars passing by. “You must be freezing out here. Where are your parents?” Gaia remained quiet and looked to the side. “What’s wrong, did someone hurt you?” Gaia nodded her head silently whilst looking at the ground. “Who hurt you, Gaia?”</p>
<p>“My parents.” She murmured.</p>
<p>“Your parents? What did they do?” The man asked with a soft tone.</p>
<p>Gaia looked back at the man. “They don’t love me anymore. They lied to me about things. They don’t pay attention to me like they used to, especially my Daddy.”</p>
<p>“I’m sure that’s not true. I’m sure they love you very much.” The man comforted her by touching her shoulder. His face then became full of concern. “Do they know where you are?”</p>
<p>Gaia shook her head sadly. “I ran away from home. I don’t want to see them ever again. I don’t want to see my uncles or Aunty Vida ever again.”</p>
<p>“But they will all be worried about you, Gaia. You’re only a little girl and this is a big city, it’s not safe for you to be out here in your own.” The man then touched Gaia’s pale hand. “Let me take you back home –“</p>
<p>“No!” Gaia yelled as she yanked her hand away from the man and pushed herself up again the dumpster. “I don’t want to go back!”</p>
<p>The man held up his hand to try and calm her. “Okay.” He began with a calm tone. “Okay. I won’t take you home then. But you can’t stay here, you’ll catch your death in this weather.” The man then smiled. “How about you come home with me just for tonight?” Gaia looked at the man unsure of him. “J-just so you have a warm and dry place to sleep. I can make you a hot cup of cocoa to warm you up and give you some blankets and a pillow.” He said nervously with a smile.</p>
<p>“You’d, you’d take me in?”</p>
<p>“Yeah.”</p>
<p>“But you don’t know me, you’re a stranger, we’re not friends.” Gaia’s body remained in a guarded state.</p>
<p>The man darted his eyes around the alleyway. “W-we could be if you wanted. You look like you need a friend right now. I know I need one.”</p>
<p>“You, you do?” Gaia asked.</p>
<p>“Yeah. I’m kind of alone in the world, but I don’t have to be alone, and you don’t have to be alone either.” The man chirped as he stood up and held out his hand to Gaia.</p>
<p>Gaia smiled at the man. “You wanna be my friend?”</p>
<p>The man nodded his head with a sweet smile. “Yeah I do, you’re a sweet kid.”</p>
<p>Gaia smiled happily. “Okay. I’d like that.” He then helped Gaia onto her feet. She grabbed her disguised hoverboard and schoolbag.</p>
<p>“Here, let me carry that for you.” The man offered to take Gaia’s schoolbag from her who then placed it over his shoulders, while Gaia held onto the hoverboard with her right hand. “Let’s go.” He held out his right hand for Gaia to take, while he carried the umbrella in the other hand.</p>
<p>The pair began to walk out of the alleyway feeling better about themselves. “Thank you, friend.” Gaia murmured with appreciation.</p>
<p>“It’s okay. Oh, by the way my name is Hal. Hal Stewart.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em>To be continued...</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>Oh shit, Hal is back! But how, you may wonder? Stay tuned to find out what happens next.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>If you're liking this story, give it a kudos and a comment. I'd love to hear what you guys think of this story so far :) xxx</em>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0011"><h2>11. Sympathy for the Devil</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <em>Hi everyone, and welcome back.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>Before I begin, I reached over 100 hits the other day which is AMAZING! It might not be much, but for me it's a big deal. Thank you to everyone who has viewed this and is reading the whole story, you guys rock!</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>Here is the next chapter of Little Blue. Enjoy :) xxx</em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <strong>Chapter 11 – Sympathy for the Devil</strong>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Roxanne Ritchie woke up from a peaceful slumber and found her husband’s arm wrapped around her small belly protectively as he slept. She stretched her body out and slipped out of bed without disturbing him as he continued to sleep. She closed the door behind her as she left. Roxanne walked into the kitchen and found Minion cooking omelettes and making cups of coffee for everyone. “Good morning, Minion.” She chirped.</p>
<p>“Good morning, Roxanne!”</p>
<p>Roxanne inhaled deeply through her nose and smiled. “Mmm, that smells delicious.” Roxanne then looked around the kitchen and dining area. “Is Gaia not up with you?”</p>
<p>“Oh no, she must still be in bed.”</p>
<p>“She’s always up early for school. I better go and wake her up.” Roxanne then walked back into the direction of where the bedrooms were.</p>
<p>She walked down the corridor and stopped outside of Gaia’s bedroom. She sighed heavily and knocked on the door. “Gaia, it’s Mommy. Are you up?” There was no response and Roxanne’s brows furrowed. “Come on, Blue, you need to wake up.” Roxanne then opened the door and saw Gaia’s empty bed with sheets tossed everywhere and clothes drawers open. “Gaia?” Her voice as beginning to sound full of panic as she stepped into the room. She darted her eyes around the room as if looking for signs of life. She noticed that Gaia’s school bag was missing along with her holo-watch. Roxanne then searched the bed and found that her blue binky was missing too. “Gaia!?” Roxanne yelled.</p>
<p>Roxanne ran out of the room and opened every door in the house, only to find that no one was in there. “If you think this is funny, Gaia, it’s not! Come on, come out now.” Panic began to rush through Roxanne like wildfire and her breathing sped up. Roxanne returned to the kitchen and spoke with Minion. “Minion, are you sure you haven’t seen Gaia this morning?” She tried to ask calmly. Minion nodded his head slowly. “She’s not in her room, and her things are missing!” Minion dropped the frying pan on the ground with his mouth gaped open as Roxanne dashed away from sight.</p>
<p>“Gaia!” Roxanne ran along the corridor and saw the door that lead into the lair was open. Panic continued to increase, and Roxanne’s chest tightened with anxiety as she ran into the cold and damp lair. She saw the large group of brain bots huddled together as they bowged to each other. “Pinky!” Roxanne yelled out and watched as the leader of the brain bots made her way to Roxanne.</p>
<p>“Bowg.”</p>
<p>“Have you seen Gaia in here?”</p>
<p>“Bowg, bowg.” Pinky shook her head.</p>
<p>Roxanne ran around the lair and found no trace of her. She stopped at Megamind’s work desk and sobbed. She grabbed onto her short brunette hair and wanted to tear it from her scalp. “GAIA!”</p>
<p>“Roxanne!” Megamind ran and caught her before she collapsed onto her knees sobbing. “Honey, what’s wrong?”</p>
<p>“It’s, it’s Gaia! She’s gone!”</p>
<p>“Gone? That’s impossible, she couldn’t have gone!”</p>
<p>Roxanne clutched onto Megamind’s soft dark blue pyjamas and sobbed. “Her school bag and watch are missing, and the door to the lair was open. I remember you locking it last night. S-she must’ve broken in.”</p>
<p>Megamind looked at Roxanne with a baffled expression. “But how, she doesn’t know where the keys are, there’s no way she could’ve … unless she … oh no!” It hit him.</p>
<p>“W-what?”</p>
<p>Megamind’s green eyes widened. “She used her binky to get into the lair.” <em>‘Oh god, I should’ve binky-proofed the lair door.</em>’ Megamind looked around his desk. “But why would she want to get in here for?” He studied it and noticed that a few tools were missing. “She wouldn’t!” His face went blank with panic and he turned around and whistled loudly.</p>
<p>All of the brain bots swarmed over to Megamind and Roxanne and looked at their daddy waiting for a command. “Indy!” He yelled. The pink brain bot came forwards. “Where is Gaia!” If anything, this little brain bot would know, after all, she favoured Gaia. The brain bot shrugged her mechanical arms as if to say ‘I don’t know’. Megamind growled in frustration. “Don’t you lie to me, Indigo!” Indigo raised her arms even higher trying to put her point across.</p>
<p>“Megamind, stop it! She doesn’t know!” Roxanne defended the young brain bot.</p>
<p>“You there!” He pointed his finger at a spiky blue bot. “Find the hoverboard now!” The blue brain bot whizzed away in search of the board. Megamind stood up and walked towards the monitors.</p>
<p>“The hoverboard?” Roxanne said as she stood up. “Why would she take that?”</p>
<p>“To get away as fast as she could before we could find out.”</p>
<p>“Bowg.” The blue brain bot returned empty handed to their daddy.</p>
<p>Megamind’s face began to turn purple with anger and he growled. “Argh! You’ve outdone yourself this time, Little Blue!” He muttered to himself. “Brain bots!” All of them bowged in response. “Search everywhere for Gaia! Find her!” All of the brain bots bowged and split up into several groups to find the little girl.</p>
<p>Roxanne stood in front of the monitors as Megamind started them up. “Where could she have gone? What if we can’t find her!? She’s only a little girl.” Roxanne panicked, and Megamind walked towards her and held her against his chest.</p>
<p>“We will find her, I promise.” Megamind grabbed onto Roxanne’s chin and smirked. “Besides, if she’s taken her holo-watch with her, I’ll be able to find her easily, she has a tracker in it.” He laughed and turned to face the monitors. “She’s clever, but she’s not a genius like me! Computer: find the location of GAIA ANDRMEDA RITCHIE.” He commanded his computer while he held up his hands triumphantly with a smile.</p>
<p>The computer swung into action and attempted to trace Gaia’s watch. Megamind waited with anticipation to see what the computer would say. <em>“GPS tracker for GAIA ANDROMEDA RITCHIE disabled. Last known location: Megamind’s Lair.” </em>The computer spoke in a monotone as it printed the words on the screen.</p>
<p>Megamind’s green eyes went wide with panic and he let his arms drop to his sides. He didn’t dare look back at Roxanne. “Computer: engage in communication with GAIA ANDROMEDA RITCHIE.” His voice was wobbly.</p>
<p><em>“Communication not possible. Communicator for GAIA ANDROMEDA RITCHIE disabled.”</em> It spoke again.</p>
<p>“No!” Roxanne yelled through her sobs.</p>
<p>“She’s tampered with her watch!” Megamind’s eyes darted around his lair as he tried to think. “Computer: play camera footage of the lair from last night.” The computer silently did as commanded and for a few hours there was no obvious activity on the recording. At the 11pm mark, there was a clear figure of a young blue girl pulling out her binky.</p>
<p>“There she is!” Roxanne pointed. Megamind and Roxanne held on to one another as they watched the footage play on. They watched as the power of the binky had managed to open the door and Gaia entered the lair. The cameras moved into different shots as Gaia had sneaked her way to Megamind’s desk and picked up the tools and tampered with her watch.</p>
<p>“Oh that little … she’s way too smart for her own good!” Roxanne and Megamind continued to watch the footage and saw that Gaia had picked up the hoverboard and made a dash towards the concealed exit. Megamind then focused on the cameras outside of the lair and saw that she rode on the hoverboard and took off into the direction of the city. Megamind smashed his fist onto the computer keys in anger. “No, no, no!”</p>
<p>“This is bad!” Roxanne said. “We need to call the police now!”</p>
<p>“There’s no need for that –“</p>
<p>“She’s a child, Meg! Metro City is dangerous for little ones like her!” Roxanne argued.</p>
<p>“We don’t want to draw too much attention to ourselves. I’ll send the brain bots out to the city to find her.” Roxanne began to cry and she collapsed into Megamind’s arms. “We will find her, Roxanne, she can’t have gone far.” He cupped her face reassuringly. “I will bring her home, I promise. I swore to protect her, and that’s what I’ll do.”</p>
<p>Roxanne nodded her head and relaxed into her husband. “We have to tell Vida and Wayne. They may be able to help us.” Megamind nodded his head.</p>
<p>Roxanne and Megamind rushed back into the living room and saw Minion staring at the TV with his mouth open. “Minion, get the brain bots ready to search the streets for Gaia. She needs to be found quickly!” Minion didn’t answer and dropped the plate of omelettes on the ground. “Minion?” Megamind stood beside his fishy friend and saw that his face was full of shock. Megamind looked at the TV and watched the news that read as ‘breaking news’.</p>
<p>On the television was a burning building that looked like a hospital, and outside were fire trucks and men trying to douse the flames. Roxanne’s friend and co-worker, Anastasia Lewis stood outside with a microphone in her hand as she spoke.</p>
<p><em>“Thank you. That’s Anastasia Lewis reporting from the Metro City Psychiatric Institute.”</em> The news focused on the news anchor for KMCP 8 News. <em>“For those of you just tuning in this morning, we have breaking news that the convicted supervillain named Tighten had escaped the Metro City Psychiatric Institute last night. Tighten had been held in the institute for over a year after the courts ruled him as criminally insane. It is believed that he escaped between the times of 7pm and 11pm last night and had help from the outside. Metro City Police have advised citizens that if any member of the public see Tighten, they are advised not to approach him, and while he does not have his powers, he is considered extremely dangerous. If any citizen holds any information of Tighten’s whereabouts, they must call the police immediately.”</em></p>
<p>Megamind backed away from the TV in shock. “No, this can’t be happening.” He then heard a thud and saw Roxanne unconscious on the ground. “Roxanne!”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>XXX</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Gaia Ritchie woke up on a soft single bed in a small apartment that contained a small kitchen and bathroom area. She rubbed her eyes and could smell something burning. She focused her green eyes on the kitchen area and saw Hal struggling with a frying pan as he plated some food up. “Hey, Gaia, you’re awake.” Hal looked at the disguised Gaia. “How did you sleep?”</p>
<p>Gaia got off the bed and walked towards the kitchen table and chairs. “Yeah, pretty good.” She finally sat down and watched as Hal brought the plate and some cutlery to her. “Thanks for letting me stay at your house, Mr Stewart.”</p>
<p>“Oh, this isn’t my place. This place belongs to two buddies that I met not long ago. They are letting me stay here for a while. Anyway, here’s some breakfast for you.” Gaia looked down at the plate and saw burnt bacon and toast with tomato sauce drizzled on top. She looked at the food and then to Hal awkwardly. Hal look embarrassed and scratched the back of his head. “I-I know, I kind of suck at cooking. I haven’t done it for a while.” He sighed. “I have some cereal if that would be better for you?” He then reached into the cupboard and the fridge, bringing out two bowls, some rice pops and a bottle of milk.</p>
<p>Gaia smiled awkwardly as she poured her cereal and milk into her bowl. “Thanks, Mr Stewart.”</p>
<p>“That’s okay.” Hal sat down opposite Gaia. “Oh, and just call me Hal. Mr Stewart makes me sound like I’m some old business guy who’s the boss of loads of people.” Gaia giggled. “What?” He smiled.</p>
<p>“That’s what my granddaddy says, but he <em>is </em>the boss of lots of people.”</p>
<p>Hal raised an eyebrow at her curiously. "Really? What kind of work does your granddad do?"</p>
<p>"He owns a big technology business in the city and my Uncle Mikey helps him run it. My daddy does a lot of business with my granddaddy who helps him make lots of cool stuff."</p>
<p>"Interesting. And what about your other granddad?"</p>
<p>"He is also the boss of lots of people. My grandpa is the warden of Metro City Prison." Hal's brown eyes went wide and he dropped his spoon. "He's a big teddy bear though. He's not that scary." For the next few minutes Gaia and Hal ate their cereal in peace. Hal then cleaned up after them and Gaia watched him. “Hal?”</p>
<p>“Yeah?”</p>
<p>Gaia looked around the apartment nervously. “You said to me last night that you are alone in the world.” She watched him tense up. “Why?”</p>
<p>“It’s a long story, kid, and you might not fully understand it.”</p>
<p>“You can help me to try and understand. I’m smarter than you think.”</p>
<p>Hal laughed and turned to face her. “How old are you?” He smiled.</p>
<p>“Six.”</p>
<p>“You definitely wouldn’t understand.” Hal then shook his head and quickly changed the subject. “What am I doing! I should drop you off at your parents place, they must be so worried about you.” Hal then grabbed her school bag and walked to the front door.</p>
<p>“No!” Gaia grabbed her school bag and tried to yank it away from Hal, but it was no use. The pair fought over the bag for a few moments before a glowing object fell out through the zipper and landed on the stained carpet. “Oh no!” Gaia gasped.</p>
<p>“What is that thing?” Hal watched the little girl as she scrambled for the glowing object and hid it in her jacket.</p>
<p>“Tell me the story why you’re alone.” She commanded. “Please. And I’ll tell you what this is.”</p>
<p>Hal looked into Gaia’s green eyes that were full of questions that she wanted answers to. Hal sighed defeated. “Okay, I’ll tell you. But I’ll warn you, you’re gonna need to take a seat and eat some popcorn for this one.” Hal walked over to the cupboards again and pulled out a popcorn bag and put it in the microwave.</p>
<p><em>“Pop-it-corn.”</em> Gaia murmured to herself.</p>
<p>“What?”</p>
<p>“Nothing!” Gaia smiled nervously at Hal. Once the popcorn was ready, Gaia sat down and began to eat the buttery snack as she looked at Hal keenly. “Tell me your story, Hal.” Gaia spoke with her mouth full.</p>
<p>Hal shrugged his shoulders and looked to the side. “Well, where do I start –“</p>
<p>“From the beginning of course!”</p>
<p>Hal took in a deep breath. “Well, it all started eight years ago when I was 28. I was working as a cameraman for KMCP 8 News. My partner and I were covering a story for Metro Man Day. She got kidnapped and Metro Man went to rescue her, but he failed to save her. The city seemed to be doomed without the hero as the evil overload took over, and I tried everything to cheer up my partner, but nothing worked.”</p>
<p>“Was she your girlfriend, Hal?” Gaia asked as she ate another mouthful of popcorn.</p>
<p>“Yeah, you could say that.” He smiled. “I decided to take matters into my own hands and save the day for everyone, but I failed. I failed Metro Man, I failed the city, and I failed my partner.” Hal’s tone became sad. “I got my butt kicked, lost the girl of my dreams and got sent to jail. I was alone. An outcast. A nobody.”</p>
<p>“But heroes always win, that’s what Daddy says.”</p>
<p>“Not this time.” He smiled sadly. “Tighten didn’t win.”</p>
<p>Gaia’s eyes went wide, and she gasped. “Tighten.” She breathed as she put the popcorn down. She had heard that name before from her father and when she was at the Megamind Museum. She had learned that he was a dangerous person. “Y-you’re, you’re Tighten?” She couldn’t believe it. She began to back away from Hal who remained sad.</p>
<p>“Yes, or I was.” His eyes narrowed. “You’ve heard of me before?”</p>
<p>Gaia’s breaths began to increase. “Daddy says you’re a bad person who deserves to go to jail. He told me that you tried to hurt Mommy. You should be in jail!”</p>
<p>Hal saw the concern on her face and put his hands up as he spoke to her in a soft tone. “Whatever you’ve been told is not true, Gaia. I am innocent. I am the hero that tried to save the day, but now I am nothing without my powers. Now I am just ordinary like you. Megamind took everything from me. He is the real villain.” He ended bitterly.</p>
<p>“Megamind?” Gaia whispered.</p>
<p>Hal nodded his head absently. “You would’ve heard of his name. Who hasn’t? He’s the so-called Defender of Metro City.” Hal used his fingers in a quotation mark fashion.</p>
<p>Gaia backed away in shock and stared out the apartment window sadly. “Daddy.” She trailed off.</p>
<p>“Daddy?” Hal asked confused. “Are you okay, Gaia? I-If I’ve upset you, I’m sorry.” He said apologetically.</p>
<p>Gaia’s eyes focused on her jacket pocket and she pulled out her glowing binky. “You don’t need to be sorry for that. You were only telling the truth, and that’s not easy to do.” Gaia ran her small fingers over her binky. “You got your butt kicked, lost your powers, and lost someone you loved. You’ve been called a villain when really you’re not. I feel sorry for you.” She then turned around and face Hal with a sorry look on her face. “You wanted to know what this is?” She held up her glowing possession. “It’s called a binky, my daddy made it for me, and I’ve had it since I was a baby. I used it to run away from home, from my parents, from …” She stopped herself for a moment. “Megamind.”</p>
<p>This time it was Hal that backed away slowly in shock. “From Megamind?”</p>
<p>Gaia looked to the ground and her voice became wobbly. “I-I haven’t told you the whole truth, and I don’t think that you would believe me if I did. The only way is to show you, so you understand.” Hal’s face was completely perplexed as it sounded as though the little girl was talking in riddles. He nodded his trying to understand her. “Promise not to tell anyone about this? You’re my friend after all.”</p>
<p>“The very best of friends.” He spoke nervously with an unsure smile.</p>
<p>Hal watched as Gaia put her binky down on the table and put her hand on her watch. He heard a small clicking noise and then watched as a brief blue light omitted around the little girl. She then transformed from a normal looking girl with pale skin and long brunette hair, to her true form of blue skin and giant blue head with short brunette hair. She looked terrified and vulnerable as she revealed herself to him. “My name is Gaia Andromeda Ritchie, and I am the daughter of Roxanne Ritchie and Megamind.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em>To be continued...</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>The plot thickens. What will Hal do now that he knows about Gaia? Stay tuned to find out.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>If you're liking my first ever story, remember to comment and give it a kudos. I'd really appreciate it. </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>Take care and I'll be back soon :)</em>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0012"><h2>12. The Archives</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Hi guys, so I finally figured out that you can put summaries/notes in a little section when editing works *face palm*. I know, really blonde of me, but hey this is my first work and I'm new to the AO3 community :)<br/>In other news, I have reached over 120 hits and got 10 kudos! Woo! Again, this is pretty big for me, and thanks to all of you for reading my story.</p>
<p>Anyway here is the next chapter. Enjoy :)</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <strong>Chapter 12 – The Archives</strong>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa! Okay!” Hal began in a panic as he paced the room. “This can’t be happening.” He then looked at her with shock. “You’re Megamind’s kid!? And, and Roxie’s!?”</p>
<p>“Roxie? You knew my Mommy?” Gaia’s face scrunched up.</p>
<p>“Oh no!” Hal put his hands onto his face and paced around the small apartment in a panic, leaving Gaia confused. “This is bad, this is really, really bad! Megamind’s gonna kill me, oh god!” Hal sat on the couch and put his head into his hands so Gaia couldn’t see his face. “This is bad, this is bad.” He paused briefly. “This, is, bad.” He spoke slowly as he processed what he was saying to himself. His tone changed from being frightened to being confident. “This <em>is</em> bad!”</p>
<p>“Hal, are you okay?” Gaia reached out a blue hand and touched Hal on the shoulder.</p>
<p>Hal’s head slowly rose from his hands, and his face remained plain as he looked at the little girl. “I knew your mother … she was my partner. Roxie was my partner.”</p>
<p>Gaia’s little face looked so vulnerable as she spoke. “You said Megamind took everything from you. Did he take Mommy from you?” Hal nodded his head. “I-I don’t understand. The people of Metro City like him. Daddy said that he is the good guy who saves people from bad guys –“</p>
<p>“Is that what he told you?” Hall cut her off. “What else has your Daddy told you?” He pushed.</p>
<p>Gaia’s eyes darted around the room looking for an answer. “That Metro Man retired from being a hero.” She murmured.</p>
<p>“Did he ever tell you<em> how</em> Metro Man retired, and how Metro City went into chaos afterwards?” He questioned her. Gaia shook her head innocently as her brilliant green eyes kept their gaze on Hal’s brown ones. “Would you like to know?” He asked her firmly.</p>
<p>“Yes.” Hal walked over to the TV area and opened the cabinet door and reached for a large box. He put it on the table and opened it up. Gaia walked over and saw old newspapers and video cassettes stacked neatly on one another. “What’s all this?” She wondered.</p>
<p>Hal sighed and looked at Gaia. “The truth.” He began plainly. “Everything you need to know about your daddy is in this box.” He gave Gaia an old newspaper dating back to 18 years ago. “The only way is to show you, so you understand.” Hal twisted the very words Gaia had used on him to his advantage. Gaia looked at Hal with uncertainty. “Take it.” He offered her the newspaper.</p>
<p>Gaia blinked rapidly and took the old newspaper in her hands and read the front page aloud. <em>“Battle of the Century.”</em> Gaia looked at the black and white photograph and saw her father and a strong built man fighting. In the photograph she saw a small brain bot with one mechanical arm and immediately recognised it as Pinky. She looked up at Hal and kept her finger on the photograph. “Is this Metro Man?” Hal hummed. Gaia then put down the newspaper and pulled out another. This time it read <em>‘Good Beats Evil’</em> and had a photograph of her father looking defeated as he was held up by his large collar by Metro Man. On the side of the photograph was Roxanne with a microphone in hand. Gaia tossed the newspaper to the side and picked up the next one. Gaia gasped as she saw a photograph of her father being punched hard by Metro Man, and the heading read as <em>‘LOSER’</em>. Gaia threw that newspaper down and picked up two more. The next newspaper read <em>‘Defender of Metro City’</em>, and once again Gaia saw her father being held up by Metro Man and Roxanne being close to the superhero.</p>
<p>Gaia read the next newspaper and gasped. “Daddy.” She whispered. She gazed at the picture and saw Megamind expressing an evil smirk as he remained behind prison bars and held onto them with intention. <em>“Megamind Behind Bars Once Again.”</em> She read aloud. “But, but Daddy said he’s the good guy! He puts the bad guys in prison!”</p>
<p>Hal picked up a video cassette and dusted it off with his fingers as he kept his eyes on the little girl. “Do you want to see more, or is it too much for you?” He asked her gently.</p>
<p>“No, show me everything!” She begged. “I want to know the truth. I don’t want any more secrets kept from me.” She sat on the hard carpet and crossed her legs as she watched Hal turn on the TV and play the cassette. Hal sat back on the couch and pressed the button of the remote control and played the cassette.</p>
<p>At first the TV was fuzzy but then images began to appear. Gaia kept focused as the video played for her. <em>“Happy Metro Man Day, Metro City! It’s a beautiful day in beautiful downtown, where we’re here to honour a beautiful man, Metro Man...”</em></p>
<p>Gaia gazed at the TV and saw her mother smiling as she spoke. “Mommy.” She murmured.</p>
<p>
  <em>“For years he’s been watching us with his super vision, saving us with his super strength and caring for us with his super heart. Now it’s our turn to give something back. This is Roxanne Ritchie reporting live from the dedication of the Metro Man Museum.”</em>
</p>
<p>The video tape cut, and a new film began to play on the screen. This time is was Metro Man making his entrance at the museum by punching through the brick wall. Gaia watched as the crowd roared with cheer and Metro Man flew into the sky<em>. “Who’s the man!?”</em></p>
<p><em>“METRO MAN!”</em> The crowd yelled.</p>
<p>Metro Man then flew amongst the crowd high-fiving random citizens and juggling babies. The Mayor of Metro City then passed him the microphone and he looked at the crowd with a smoulder. <em>“Hey, Metro City.”</em> The crowd immediately went wild and women screamed his name.</p>
<p>“The people loved him. He was their hero.” Gaia said.</p>
<p>“And he had great hair!” Hal commented.</p>
<p>The video cut again and this time the theme turned dark. Black clouds and thunder appeared behind the Metro Man Museum along with a large ship. Blue brain bots flew over the crowd as the clouds created darkness across the city. Megamind’s face quickly appeared on the large screens and he laughed in his manic way. Metro flew up to meet him and eyed him up. <em>“Megamind!”</em></p>
<p>Megamind clapped his hands in a condescending manner. <em>“Oh bravo, Metro Mahn!”</em> The crowd then booed. <em>“Boo! Yes, I can play along too, boo!”</em></p>
<p>
  <em>“Should’ve known you’d try to crash the party.”</em>
</p>
<p>Megamind laughed again. <em>“Oh, I intend to do more than crash it! This is the day you and Metrocity shall not soon forget!”</em></p>
<p>
  <em>“It’s pronounced METRO CITY!”</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>“Oh, potato tomato, potato tomato.”</em>
</p>
<p><em>“We all know how this ends, with you behind bars!”</em> The crowd cheered at Metro Man’s statement.</p>
<p>Megamind began in a sarcastic tone. <em>“Oh, I’m shaking in my custom baby seal leather boots.”</em> His tone then became serious. <em>“You will leave Metrocity, or this will be the last you ever hear of Roxanne Ritchie!” </em>The crowd gasped as the camera focused on Roxanne tied up in a chair.</p>
<p>Metro Man gasped and flew closer to the screen. <em>“Roxanne! Don’t panic, Roxie, I’m on my way.”</em></p>
<p>Gaia went up to the TV and touched it. “Mommy!”</p>
<p>“Yes. He kidnapped your mother on a frequent basis and constantly threatened her and Metro Man.” Hal said.</p>
<p>Gaia became confused as the video tape cut to another film. She sat back on the ground and saw her mother tied to the chair and laughing at Megamind. Megamind then retracted all the weapons he had pointed at her, and Roxanne looked confused. She then waited for Metro Man to burst into the observatory. <em>“Oh, good heavens, you didn’t think you were in the real observatory, DID YOU!?” </em>Megamind laughed evilly and Roxanne began to look scared. <em>“Ready the Death Ray, Minion!”</em> He told his fantastic fish friend.</p>
<p>Minion pulled on a lever. <em>“Death Ray readying.”</em></p>
<p>The video then focused on Metro Man who was trapped in a building that Gaia recognised as the observatory. <em>“Over here, old friend. In case you haven’t noticed, you’ve fallen right into my trap.”</em> Megamind said victoriously.</p>
<p>The two rivals then bickered about how justice can’t be trapped which lead onto warranties for microwaves.<em> “Oh girls, girls you’re both pretty, can I go home now?”</em> Roxanne asked.</p>
<p><em>“Of course, that is if Metro Man can withstand the full concentrated power of the sun. FIRE!” </em>Megamind pointed to Minion.</p>
<p>The tape quickly forwarded to Metro Man trying to escape the observatory but failed. Gaia watched as a large blast hit the observatory, causing it to explode and kill the hero trapped inside. Metro Man’s skeleton flew into Megamind’s fake observatory which shocked Minion, Megamind and Roxanne equally. <em>"Yo</em><em>u, you did it, Sir!”</em> Minion sounded surprised.</p>
<p><em>“I did it? I-I did it! Metrocity is mine</em>!” He yelled victoriously.</p>
<p>The video tape stopped and grey fuzziness projected on the TV. Gaia sighed sadly and looked back at Hal who looked at her sympathetically. “I can’t believe it!” She began with a wobble in her tone. It was clear that the little girl was shocked by what she had seen. “Metro Man never retired; he died!” Hal went over to the TV and grabbed the video tape from the player and put another tape in. “Sadie was right; Daddy killed Metro Man.” She mumbled sadly.</p>
<p>“There’s more to watch, but I don’t know if you wanna see anymore.” Hal spoke softly.</p>
<p>Gaia’s sad green eyes looked at Hal, and the man could see the transition in her unfolding before him. Her face became stern and her eyes became dark. “Show me more.”</p>
<p>Hal nodded his head and rolled the tape. Gaia watched on and saw her father and Minion stealing pieces of artwork from the local art gallery, paint the top of the City Hall blue with the brain bots, steal money and other riches from the banks and even play fight with bags full of money. Another shot showed Megamind riding around his hoverbike and vandalising the streets, and another showed him in his giant robot suit throwing a car into a building that had a target spray painted on it.</p>
<p>The video fuzzed again and this time Gaia’s mother was reporting the news outside of the Metro Man Museum as she held onto her microphone sadly. Gaia went up to the TV and held onto the sides of it<em>. “He was always there for us. Dependable. Perhaps we took him for granted, or maybe we never really know how good we have it until its gone. We miss you, Metro Man. I miss you. And I just have one question for Megamind: are you happy now?”</em> Roxanne stared through the TV angrily. Gaia wondered how on earth her mother could have learned to love Megamind after killing Metro Man and making the people of Metro City miserable. <em>“This is Roxanne Ritchie reporting from a city without a hero. Coming up next, are you ready to be a slave army? What you need to know.”</em> The video tape cut and Gaia watched as Megamind’s brain bots placed multiple sticks of dynamite at the base of the large Metro Man statue. Megamind stood outside of the museum and within seconds, the statue exploded which scared Megamind in the process making him run away.</p>
<p>“He trashed the city? He destroyed the museum? He did all of these bad things!” Gaia said as she looked at Hal. “Wait!” She stood up. “You said that you tried to stand up to Megamind, where are you in all of this?”</p>
<p>Hal raised his eyebrows at the TV and pointed to it. “See for yourself.”</p>
<p>Gaia turned her head and watched as Megamind began to terrorise the citizens of Metro City in his giant robot suit while laughing evilly. Gaia noticed that he was wearing his Black Mamba suit. He then flew up to the top of the city hall and swung on it casually. <em>“I hear there’s a new hero who dares to challenge my evil! Where is the one they call Tighten!?”</em> He laughed evilly again.</p>
<p>The video then showed Tighten in his white and orange suit fighting on the streets with Megamind. Gaia noticed that Hal wasn’t a scrawny looking man and instead was a tall and muscular man who could fly and had super strength. “You had the same powers as Metro Man!” She commented. Hal nodded his head.</p>
<p>Punches were thrown and both Tighten and Megamind took hard hits. Megamind then challenged Tighten with a lamppost and the two rivals began to fight with lampposts as if they were swords. <em>“Yes, now that’s the spirit!”</em> Megamind said. The fighting continued and Tighten charged at Megamind angrily. Tighten then hit Megamind’s giant robot suit flinging him high into the sky.</p>
<p>The video then showed Tighten get trapped by a giant sphere, which he quickly broke through and lifted to throw at Megamind. Gaia watched as Megamind escaped and the citizens of Metro City cheered for Tighten<em>. “We’re saved! We’re saved!”</em> It was the mayor talking. <em>“What’s your name, new hero?”</em></p>
<p>
  <em>“It’s Tighten!”</em>
</p>
<p>The tape then fuzzed signalling the end. Gaia ran up to the television and held onto it desperately. “Wait no! There’s got to be more!”</p>
<p>Hal shook his head. “I’m sorry, Gaia, that’s all there is.”</p>
<p>Gaia turned around to face Hal. “So, so what happened after that?”</p>
<p>Hal sighed sadly. “He defeated me and took away my powers. He brainwashed Roxanne and the entire city making them believe that he was the good guy and I was the bad guy. He ruined me, Gaia. He threw me in jail for trying to stand up to him and avenge Metro Man. He took everything away from me, including my Roxie.” He ended sadly and slumped in the couch.</p>
<p>Gaia had no idea what to think anymore and slumped onto the ground with her blue head hanging in defeat. Everything she had ever known was one giant lie. Her mother was a victim and her father was the villain who stole her from this former hero. How could he terrorise people like that? How could he kill Metro Man and have no bad feelings about it? How could he be so cruel and take Hal’s powers from him and steal Roxanne from him? “Daddy lied to me, about everything! He is no hero.”</p>
<p>“I’m sorry, Gaia –“</p>
<p>“You don’t have to be sorry, you only opened my eyes and made me see what my Daddy really is: a villain.” Gaia looked up at Hal slowly and Hal kept his brown eyes on Gaia, studying her features that reflected confusion, vulnerability, and hatred. “I believe you.” She murmured.</p>
<p>Hal’s heartbeat increased as he heard Gaia’s last words escape her lips. He smirked at the little girl briefly and sat up straight on the couch. “You do?”</p>
<p>Gaia stood up and looked at Hal with intent. “Yes, and I want to help you get your powers back so you can stop Daddy and be the hero.”</p>
<p>“You would do that for me?” His voice increased with interest. Hal sighed sadly and walked towards the kitchen area. “But it’s impossible. Megamind took away my powers with a large gun, he would’ve more than likely destroyed it by now.”</p>
<p>Gaia’s brows furrowed as she thought about what Hal said. A large gun? Before she had ran away from home, she remembered seeing a large gun with a glowing substance inside of it. “Essence of Metro Man.” She whispered.</p>
<p>“What?” Hal turned to face her.</p>
<p>Gaia clicked her fingers. “You said that you had the same powers as Metro Man, right?”</p>
<p>“Yeah, but –“</p>
<p>“I think he still has it!” She began with an excited tone. “Before I left home, I saw a large gun with glowing stuff in it. It had a label on it that read ‘Defuser Gun. Contains Essence of Metro Man’. I bet you that gun has your powers in it, and I can get them back for you!” Gaia smiled.</p>
<p>Hal smirked and began to laugh. “You’re a smart little kid, Gaia. I think you and I will make a great team.”</p>
<p>Gaia ran into Hal and gave him a large hug. Hal naturally hugged her back and gave her a little squeeze. “Thank you showing me the truth and for being my friend.”</p>
<p>Gaia wasn’t able to see the evil smirk that Hal produced on his face. “The<em> very</em> best friend.”</p>
<p> </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Looks like Gaia got brainwashed pretty easily. That's not good at all.<br/>FYI I may be away for a few days, mainly because I have a few assignments due soon, and I also need to write the rest of my story as we are pretty much up to date with it. But I promise it won't be too long until I'm back :)<br/>If you're liking my story, give it a kudos and please comment. I'd love to hear some feedback from you guys :)</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0013"><h2>13. Person of Interest</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Hello everyone, I'm back! </p>
<p>As promised, here's the next chapter of Little Blue. Enjoy :) xxx</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <strong>Chapter 13 – Person of Interest</strong>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Vida McCleod sat in the passenger seat of Wayne’s Mercedes as he drove her to work. She looked down at her handbag that was on her lap and she didn’t seem happy. She remembered earlier that morning that she watched the news in the penthouse she shared with Wayne, and was shocked to find out that Tighten had escaped the psychiatric institute the night before. She had wondered all morning whether to call up Roxanne to check on her. She even considered taking the day off to go and check on her best friend, but Wayne insisted that the school needed Vida’s presence and that he would go and see Megamind and Roxanne later.</p>
<p>“I just can’t believe it! Who on earth would help Tighten escape the psych ward?” Vida said in a defeated tone.</p>
<p>“I don’t know, my sunshine, but I’m sure Megamind and the police will find out soon. Before we left home, I heard that the city is on high alert and if Tighten is hiding in the city, they will find him soon.” Wayne said as he kept his eyes on the road.</p>
<p>“Can’t you do something?” Wayne looked at Vida as if to say ‘you’re kidding me right?’. “Oh right, you’re retired from the whole hero gig.” She spoke sarcastically.</p>
<p>“Please don’t go there with that, Vida. Metro Man is dead, and he shall remain that way.” Wayne sighed as he turned back to face the road. “Megamind will get to the bottom of it, I know he will. If he stopped Tighten on his own eight years ago, he can do it again. He wouldn’t let that creep get close to Roxanne ever again, take my word for it.”</p>
<p>“I suppose you’re right.”</p>
<p>“I know that little guy better than you think. He would do anything to protect her. He loves her with all his heart, he always has.”</p>
<p>Vida raised an eyebrow at her boyfriend and a small smirk appeared in the corner of her mouth. “Really? He had a funny way of showing his love for her by frequently kidnapping her back in the day.”</p>
<p>“The things we do for love.” Wayne laughed.</p>
<p>A phone rang loudly, and Vida heard it come from her handbag. Startled, she reached in her bag and fumbled around trying to find it. Once she had it in her hand, she looked at the touch screen and saw Roxanne’s name on it. “It’s Roxanne.” She sounded surprised.</p>
<p>“She’s keen to be calling you at this time in the morning, isn’t she?” Wayne also had the same tone of surprise in his voice.</p>
<p>Vida answered her phone and placed to her ear. “Roxie, hi.”</p>
<p><em>“Vida! Oh, thank god you picked up!”</em> Roxanne sounded terrified on the other end of the phone.</p>
<p>“Whoa, what’s going on?” Vida furrowed her brows with concern.</p>
<p>
  <em>“Oh my god I don’t know what to do! I’m so scared! I’m so scared!”</em>
</p>
<p>Vida put one of her hands out in front of her while she held onto the phone with the other. “Roxie, slow down, you’re not making any sense! What’s happened?” Roxanne was now crying on the phone in terror. “Roxanne, tell me.”</p>
<p>
  <em>“It’s Gaia! She ran away from home last night. She’s gone!”</em>
</p>
<p>“WHAT!?” Vida yelled as she braced a hand on the dashboard. She then tapped her boyfriend on the shoulder. “Wayne, stop the car!” Wayne did exactly as he was told, and the wheels of the car screeched into a halt as they parked on the side of the road. “Hang on, I’ll put you on speaker phone. Wayne’s with me.” Vida then tapped the phone putting it to the right setting. “Gaia’s gone? How!?” She asked in a stressed tone. Wayne’s mouth gaped open as he stared at Vida’s phone.</p>
<p>Roxanne’s cries were heard on the other end of the phone. <em>“She broke into the lair last night and stole the hoverboard. She’s disabled her communicator and GPS tracker in her watch! She’s disappeared, we can’t find her!”</em></p>
<p>“Oh my god!” Wayne said as he looked at Vida with shock.</p>
<p>“Roxie, where’s Megamind?” Vida asked.</p>
<p>
  <em>“He’s just gone out to find her with Minion and the brain bots. Oh, jeez she could be anywhere! What if Tighten finds her!?”</em>
</p>
<p>“Don’t panic, Roxie. Megamind will find her soon and the city is on high alert to catch Tighten.” Wayne said in his deep and sultry voice.</p>
<p>“Have you called the police?” Vida asked.</p>
<p>
  <em>“No. Megamind says he will find her himself. And we can’t make it known to the public that she’s missing, if we do that, Tighten might find her and harm her.”</em>
</p>
<p>“You have to call the police, Roxanne. They must know that she’s missing, and it might help Megamind find her sooner.” Vida encouraged her.</p>
<p>“Someone must’ve seen a little girl with the complexion of a popular primary colour somewhere on the streets.” Wayne spoke again.</p>
<p>Roxanne cried again. <em>“She can disguise herself with her watch, Wayne!”</em> She yelled down the phone.</p>
<p>Wayne gritted his teeth awkwardly. “Oh, crab nuggets.”</p>
<p>Vida could tell that this wasn’t the real Roxanne Ritchie talking, and instead it was the pregnancy hormones talking. Vida remembered that the last time Roxanne was pregnant with Gaia in the early months, she was far moodier and emotionally unstable. This time round didn't seem any different. “Whoa, Roxanne, you need to calm down. You acting out like this doesn’t help anyone, and it’s not good for you or the baby.” Vida reasoned. “Is there anything we can do to help?”</p>
<p>
  <em>“I don’t know anymore, Vida. I just want my little blue back!”</em>
</p>
<p>“After I drop you off at school, I’ll start looking on the streets for Gaia. My super senses may be able to help find her.”</p>
<p>“But you have got to be careful, Wayne. No one can see you using your powers, including Gaia.” Vida said.</p>
<p>Wayne smiled at his girlfriend. “I will be careful, sunshine. I promise.” His tone then became serious. “Listen, Roxanne. You stay where you are and do not leave home, don’t go to work today, it's not safe for you out there right now. Look, when I get Vida from school later today, we’ll drop by and check on you okay?”</p>
<p>Ten minutes later, the white Mercedes sedan stopped outside of Metro City Elementary School and Wayne opened the car door and let Vida step out. She brushed down her skirt and straightened out her brown jacket. He closed the door behind her and held her in an embrace. Vida looked sadly at Wayne. “Hey, cheer up, V.” He stroked her cheek lovingly. “We will find Gaia soon; I know we will.”</p>
<p>“I hope so, for all our sakes.”</p>
<p>Wayne tipped her chin to make her look into his blue eyes. “Me too.” The school bell rang in the background. “You better go. I’ll pick you up after work.” The pair then hugged. “I love you, Vida.”</p>
<p>“I love you too.” Vida’s sweet lips crashed onto Wayne’s in a desperate way and she closed her blue eyes, feeling his soft facial hair gently tickle her face. Wayne then let go of his girl and hopped back into his Mercedes and sped off into the heart of the city.</p>
<p>Inside the car, Wayne picked up his phone and dialled a number. He waited patiently as the phone rang. <em>“Ollo?” </em>A voice said.</p>
<p>“Hey, little buddy, it’s Wayne. Vida and I just heard about Gaia.” He spoke seriously.</p>
<p>Megamind sighed on the other end of the phone. <em>“Oh god.”</em></p>
<p>“Where are you now?”</p>
<p>
  <em>“Near Metro City Park. Minion figured that we should start looking for her here since this is one of her favourite spots in the city.”</em>
</p>
<p>“Okay listen, meet me at the top of Metro City Tower in ten minutes so we can talk about this.” Wayne quickly hung up the phone and swiftly drove through the city.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>XXX</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“He hung up on me!” Megamind whined at Minion.</p>
<p>“What did he want?” Minion quizzed him.</p>
<p>“He wants to meet me on top of the Metro City Tower soon.” Megamind then whistled loudly. “Pinky. Violet.” He called his pink brain bots. The two bots looked at Megamind obediently.</p>
<p>“So, what am I supposed to do, Sir?” Minion huffed.</p>
<p>“Keep looking for Gaia with the other brain bots while I talk with Mr Goody-Two-Shoes, I’ll catch up with you soon.” Megamind then let Pinky and Violet grab onto his arms and lift him off the ground with ease, taking him to the tallest tower in the city.</p>
<p>Megamind planted his feet firmly on the steel tower and heard the wind ring in his ears and blow his black and blue cape around. He waited for five minutes and was slowly becoming impatient with Wayne. As Metro Man, he was always on time to battles and was never a second late, now since he was just a supposedly plain and ordinary man, his timing skills slightly lacked. Megamind looked down at his watch and saw the time. “Come on, Wayne, I haven’t got all day.” Just as Megamind finished speaking, he heard a whizzing sound and Wayne immediately appeared before him and leaned on the tower with a smile. “I hope no one saw you flying up here.”</p>
<p>“I have super speed remember?” Wayne attempted to jog Megamind’s memory. Pinky hovered forward and growled at the former superhero, as if to protect her daddy.</p>
<p>Megamind shook his head trying to stay focused. “Why did we have to meet here, Wayne? Couldn’t this wait until later? My daughter is missing, and the Metro City Police have been constantly ringing me about Tighten’s escape!” He stressed.</p>
<p>“Listen.” Wayne began boldly. “I want to help you find Gaia, and you’re gonna need all the help you can get, little buddy. I love that little girl too.”</p>
<p>“And what will you do? Fly around in front of everyone to try and find her, while also blowing your cover? You didn’t think about that one, Metro<em> Mahn</em>.” Megamind’s tone was sarcastic.</p>
<p>Wayne looked angry at Megamind. “Okay first off, that was uncalled for. Secondly, Metro Man is dead, I am just Wayne now. And thirdly, I was going to ask you what her disguises would look like. Vida and I spoke to Roxanne who said that she has her holo-watch with her that can change her appearance. If she is using a disguise whilst on the streets, I need to know what they might look like.”</p>
<p>Megamind sighed and looked down to the city below. He then turned back to his former rival. “I set two different disguises for her to use. One of them is a girl with light brown hair and freckles dressed in a pink jacket and black pants, the other disguise is a red-haired girl in a blue dress. The only way you will be able to recognise Gaia in disguise is by her green eyes, the holo-watch can struggle with disguising eye colour.”</p>
<p>“Okay, is there any possibility that she may have any other disguises at all? From what I know, the holo-watch can copy someone else’s body. Does she know how to do that?”</p>
<p>“No. I never taught her how to do that, and neither has Minion.” Megamind clarified.</p>
<p>“That’s it then! We need to find a little girl that looks normal but has green eyes.” Wayne flew into the air and hovered as he spoke to Megamind. “You and Minion keep on searching for Gaia near the park. I’ll cover the downtown area and start looking for her there.” At lightning speed, Wayne left the top of Metro City Tower and Megamind looked around in confusion.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>XXX</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Roxanne Ritchie sat in front of the large TV sobbing as she watched live updates about Tighten. Throughout the day she was slumped on the couch, and was waited on by the brain bot Pearl who had a tissue box ready for her. She knew that she had to try and stay strong but found it so difficult. She knew that her pregnancy was heavily influencing her psyche and there was nothing that she could do. She felt like a shadow of her nosy reporter self, and truly felt like a damsel in distress – a motherly damsel in distress.</p>
<p>“Oh, Pearl.” She talked to the brain bot as she blew her nose into a tissue. “I feel so terrible! I never should have kept the truth about the baby from her. Now my little girl is out there on her own, and Hal is out there hiding somewhere. I just want her home again.” Roxanne then heard something of high frequency noise whizz in the lair. She immediately sat up and looked behind the couch in hope. “Gaia, is that you, baby!?” She said distressed, as she ran towards the lair with Pearl following closely behind. “Gaia!?” Roxanne entered the lair disappointed to find Wayne and Vida arrive in the white Mercedes.</p>
<p>“Oh, Roxie!” Vida slammed the car door and rushed over to her best friend. Roxanne collapsed in Vida’s arms, crying waterfalls and felt a tingling sensation as she held onto her friend. “Oh, look at you, you’re a mess!”</p>
<p>Vida was right, as Roxanne’s hair was dishevelled, and she wore the baggiest shirt and pants that she owned. Her beautiful blue eyes were bloodshot, and her eyelids were puffy from all the crying she had done. “Did, did you find her?” She stammered. Vida looked at Roxanne sadly and shook her head slowly.</p>
<p>“I’m sorry, Roxie. I looked for Blue in the downtown area and the streets nearby and couldn’t find her at all. She’s proving to be a hard person to find, even with set disguises.” Wayne commented. Roxanne burst out crying again and collapsed into Vida again. The sound of the invisible car screeched in the lair followed by a swarm of blue brain bots. Megamind exited the car and slammed the car door angrily and growled in frustration.</p>
<p>“Any luck?” Wayne asked.</p>
<p>“No.” Minion said sadly.</p>
<p>Megamind glared green daggers at his former rival. “I suppose you didn’t do any better.”</p>
<p>Wayne stroked his large chin. “That little girl of yours is too smart for her own good –“</p>
<p>“She’s also incredibly stupid! She has no idea about how dangerous the city can be, especially now Hal <em>Schtewart</em> is on the streets.” Megamind sighed defeated.</p>
<p>“Sir, what do we do now? We’ve looked everywhere for her.” Minion asked.</p>
<p>“Set the brain bots to patrol the city to find her.”</p>
<p>Vida spoke as she continued to hold onto Roxanne. “Megamind, we have to call the police –“</p>
<p>“They already have enough to deal with. I can find my daughter on my own –“</p>
<p><em>“Our </em>daughter!” Roxanne yelled with a wobbly tone.</p>
<p>“Meg, she’s been missing for nearly a whole day, we have to report it. If anything, it might encourage the police to find not only her, but Tighten. She would be a person of interest that everyone would want to see safe.” Vida spoke.</p>
<p>“Vida’s right, we have to tell them.” Wayne said.</p>
<p>Minutes of bickering had passed and Megamind had made the decision to call the police and report Gaia as a missing person. The very next day, Megamind visited the police station and handed in his CCTV footage from the lair to aid the police in their search for Gaia. Meanwhile, Megamind, Minion and Wayne continued to search the streets in hopes that they may find his little girl.</p>
<p>As the days passed, the three men failed to find Gaia and were beginning to lose hope. The Metro City Police were also beginning to lose hope, as there was no obvious trace of Gaia on the streets. The police then began to search the CCTV footage of the city, scrolling through hours and hours of footage from multiple cameras in the city, but there was no trace of Megamind’s daughter. The chief of police then asked permission from Megamind and Roxanne to publicise Gaia’s disappearance and asked for a photograph of her and her set disguises, and Megamind reluctantly agreed to this.</p>
<p>As the news of Gaia’s disappearance was made public, swarms of other news reporters would try and talk to Roxanne as she made her way to work. Cameras would flash in her eyes which blinded the nosy reporter. Megamind fared no better and had double the number of reporters corner him when he was out on the streets with Minion. <em>‘Do you know what happened to your daughter, Megamind? Do you have any updates about her? Do you think someone has kidnapped her? Do you think the supervillain Tighten may have found her? Is there any more news about Tighten and his whereabouts?’</em> All of these were common questions that were thrown at him by the reporters, and he hated it.</p>
<p>On one Sunday morning, Megamind and Roxanne sadly watched the KMCP 8 News as the news anchor once again reminded everyone about Gaia’s disappearance and showed photographs of her in a pink flowery dress with her short brown hair hanging loose, as well as her set disguises. All Megamind felt that he could do was to cuddle Roxanne on the couch, kiss her head lightly and rub her small belly in a comforting manner. He felt so powerless and lost all hope. The last time he felt like this was when he voluntarily went back to prison after Tighten began to destroy the city, and Metro Man refused to help him defeat the villain.</p>
<p>As the couple watched the news, Megamind’s phone rang loudly. Megamind grunted and picked up the phone from the coffee table. “What do you want?” He said in a tired manner. He was in no mood to say <em>‘Ollo.’</em></p>
<p><em>“Megamind, this is Chief Reagan from the Metro City Police Department.”</em> A gruff voice spoke.</p>
<p>Megamind sighed and rubbed his face. “What do I owe the pleasure?” Megamind sounded bored. Roxanne’s ears had perked up, and she sat up slowly and kept her blue gaze on Megamind as he lazily listened to the phone call.</p>
<p>
  <em>“We need you and Ms Ritchie to come down to the station. We’ve found some footage from the city cameras that might give us a lead on Tighten.”</em>
</p>
<p>Megamind’s brilliant green eyes went wide and he sat forward. “You got a hit?” In the corner of his eye, he could see Roxanne’s eyes widening and her mouth gaping open.</p>
<p>
  <em>“Possibly, but we need you both to come down to the station to and analyse the footage.”</em>
</p>
<p>“Of course. We’ll be there as quick as we can, thank you.” Megamind hung up the phone and jumped up from the couch.</p>
<p>“Who was that?” Roxanne said.</p>
<p>“That was the Chief of the Metro City Police. He needs us to look at some footage from the CCTV cameras in the city. They may have spotted Tighten.”</p>
<p>“Hal!?” Megamind nodded his head sadly as Roxanne stood up on her feet. “We better get going then, there’s no time to waste!”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>If you're liking this story, give it a kudos and comment on your thoughts about this story. I'd love to hear some more feedback from you guys.<br/>Take care, and I'll be back in a few days :) xxx</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0014"><h2>14. The Lair</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Hello again, and welcome back!<br/>Well this chapter took me forever to write, mainly because we're up to date with everything and this chapter is relatively long compared to the others.<br/>Anyway, enjoy this action-packed chapter! :) xxx</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <strong>Chapter 14 – The Lair</strong>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>The invisible car sped off into the direction of Metro City with Megamind and Roxanne inside, and Gaia saw her opportunity to get the defuser gun that contained Tighten’s powers. For an hour, Gaia had hidden behind an abandoned building and quietly waited for an indication to set her plan in motion. She felt so nervous and slightly guilty – after all, by taking the defuser gun from the lair she was going against her parents and helping her new friend Hal. He had taken her in and had looked after her for the last ten days, keeping her warm and dry, well fed and washing her clothes. In return for his kindness and helping her open her eyes to the truth, she was going to return Hal’s powers to him and restore him as the hero.</p>
<p>For the last few days, Gaia had planned on her own how to sneak into the lair and take the defuser gun. She knew every nook and cranny of the lair and could remember where she had seen the large gun that was encased in glass. As part of her plan, she had drawn a small blueprint to map out where she would have to move around, where the gun was located, and where she could hide if she needed to. The blueprint she had drawn up was done on a white piece of paper with coloured crayons Hal had given her, and she had titled the blueprint as <em>‘Operation Zero to Hero’. </em>As she planned this daring task, she insisted that Hal should remain in the apartment as it would not be safe for him to join her going to the lair: this was something that she had to do on her own.</p>
<p>When Gaia left the small apartment with the blueprint, her holo-watch, binky and empty schoolbag that morning, Hal said that he was proud to have a friend like her and told her to be brave like a superhero. Once she had left the apartment, she used her holo-watch to disguise herself as Sadie Howard, and used her disguised hoverboard to travel out of the city undetected by the police and Megamind’s brain bot pack that patrolled the streets on a frequent basis.</p>
<p>Once the invisible car was out of the area, the disguised Gaia jumped on the hoverboard, rode towards the lair, and entered through the secret entrance with ease. The cold and damp atmosphere hit Gaia’s face like a freight train, and she looked around noticing that the place was empty with blinky dials beeping in the distance. Gaia gazed at the familiar surroundings of contraptions that included undetonated mines and the spider bot. Her heartbeat quickened as she hopped off the hoverboard, left it near the secret entrance and darted her eyes around the lair, being extremely careful not to be caught by the brain bots if they were nearby. She pulled out the blueprint and looked at it for reference as she analysed the lair.</p>
<p>Gaia had quietly walked over to Megamind’s desk and saw papers scattered all over it, noting that there were drawings of his inventions and photographs of black figures that had question marks in the middle of them. One of the images had Megamind’s giant robot suit punching a black figure with a question mark, with the words <em>‘good vs evil’</em> written at the top of the image. Gaia’s green eyes then focused on a small gun that she recognised as her father’s de-gun and looked at it curiously. By the de-gun were two photo frames: the first frame contained a photograph of Megamind and Roxanne cuddling each other on his hoverbike, with the words ‘just married’ painted in white across the side of it. Both of them looked happy together as they were dressed in a black tuxedo and white wedding dress respectively. The second framed photograph was of a small blue infant in a yellow dress on its hands and knees with a wide smile that Gaia recognised as herself.</p>
<p>“… This could be a real breakthrough to finding out where Tighten is hiding in the city.” The faint sound of a woman was heard. Gaia gasped, recognising that it was her Aunty Vida. She looked around the lair in a panic and found an empty metal cabinet and hid in it. She remained quiet as she heard another person speak.</p>
<p>“We just have to wait and see what the police show Sir and Ms Ritchie.”</p>
<p>“I just don’t get it, Minion. They may have something on Tighten, but there’s nothing on Gaia, not a trace of her!”</p>
<p>The voices began to fade away as they walked past Gaia’s hiding spot. “If she’s using her set disguises, she’s been clever by using them to avoid the police and your boyfriend.”</p>
<p>“Yeah, and we all know that Wayne has got super vision. Nothing ever gets past him…” Once Gaia was sure that Vida and Minion were no way near the cabinet, she quietly opened the door and sneaked out.</p>
<p>Gaia ventured through the lair quietly, keeping her little steps quiet and her breathing controlled. As she made her way through the lair, she had almost run into three separate groups of brain bots that routinely hovered around the area. Unfortunately for Gaia, she did not know the routine of the brain bots well however, thankfully for the little girl, she knew where to hide until it was clear to keep moving.</p>
<p>She turned a corner and found a gold glowing object in the dark corner of the lair. “Essence of Metro Man.” She muttered to herself. She had found it! The next challenge was to get the large gun out of the casing. Gaia ran up to the casing and touched it, trying to figure out how to get the gun out. She dropped the blueprint she had drawn up, and her disguised hands roamed over the glass which then found a lock at the bottom of the glass. “This is too easy!” Gaia smirked confidently. She stepped back from the glass casing and grabbed her blue binky and aimed it at the lock. If she could get into the lair without a problem, she could easily get into a flimsy-looking lock.</p>
<p>The binky omitted a bright blue light and zapped its energy at the lock. A high-pitched noise came from the lock and Gaia’s brilliant green eyes went wide as the glass casing shattered into tiny pieces and clattered on the floor. “Oh no!” Well, that wasn’t part of her brilliant plan.</p>
<p>“What was that?” Vida’s faint voice could be heard in the distance. Gaia panicked and quickly grabbed the gun, noting that it was a little bit heavy.</p>
<p>A loud bang echoed throughout the lair and Gaia looked behind herself and saw a small group of blue brain bots lead by Violet and Pearl burst through their little hideout and charge at her. “AHH!” Gaia screamed as they lifted her up and flew her across the lair. She looked at the ground and noticed that she had dropped her binky and had left her blueprint behind.</p>
<p>“Sadie? What is she doing in here!?” Vida spotted the disguised Gaia kicking and screaming as she was carried by the brain bots. Instinctively, her and Minion ran to follow the brain bots.</p>
<p>“Hey, it’s me!” Gaia yelled at the brain bots. Gaia then managed to twist her watch and revert to her normal self. “It’s Gaia! Ow!” She growled as they dropped her on the ground and the gun slid a few metres away from her. The brain bots bowged behind Gaia dumbfounded by her presence.</p>
<p>Minion and Vida came into view and were shocked to find the little blue girl. “Gaia!?” Minion’s brown eyes widened as he saw her in a plain light pink shirt, electric blue jeans and pink converse shoes, while her short brunette hair was tied in stumpy pigtails.</p>
<p>“Where have you been, Blue? We’ve been worried sick! And why is Sadie here!?” Vida’s tone was serious.</p>
<p>Gaia got up and brushed herself down and began to back away slowly to where the defuser gun was. “Oh, um, her. It doesn’t matter, it’s none of your business.” Gaia retorted nervously.</p>
<p>“Enough of this, Gaia. You are in so much trouble, now come with us!” Vida held a hand out to her.</p>
<p>“NO!” Gaia reached for the defuser gun and pointed it at Vida and Minion. “Don’t touch me!”</p>
<p>“Gaia –“ Vida stepped forward.</p>
<p>“Don’t move, or I’ll shoot this gun and find out what it does!” Gaia threatened as she fearlessly kept the gun pointed at her adoptive uncle and aunt. Instinctively, Vida gasped, and Minion yelped in a high pitch.</p>
<p>“No! Don’t shoot that gun, Blue! It’s dangerous!” Minion pleaded with her.</p>
<p>“Gaia, put the gun down.” Gaia aimed it at Vida confidently and narrowed her eyes. Vida’s fine features then transitioned into a face full of anger. “Fine. Brain bots, get her!” Vida commanded.</p>
<p>“Bowg, bowg, bowg!” The brain bots lead by Violet and Pearl charged at Gaia from behind with their mechanical arms stretched out to grab her. As quick as lightening, Gaia ducked and watched as the group of little bots collided into Minion and Vida harshly, making them fall over and get tangled. She saw her chance and made a run for it.</p>
<p>As she ran with the defuser gun in her hand, she twisted her holo-watch and used her Sadie disguise again. Small groups of brain bots chased her around the lair, but Gaia quickly turned a sharp corner and outsmarted the little bots. She remained hidden for a few moments as she tried to catch her breath and calm herself down.<em> ‘I have to stay focused and get out of here now!’ </em>She thought to herself.</p>
<p>Once she was sure that the way was clear, she ran in the direction of Megamind’s desk for her escape. As she ran, her little arms grew tired as the weight of the gun began to fatigue her and she stopped at her father’s desk, putting the large gun down. “BOWG!” A pink brain bot with two mechanical arms hovered inches away from Gaia and looked at her menacingly with its giant red eye, as it snapped it metal jaws aggressively and growled as if it were a bloodthirsty hound. Gaia had never seen Indigo look so terrifying. She began to back away slowly with her arms in the air as the young brain bot crept closer to her with its mechanical arms outstretched. The little girl began to panic, and her heartbeat was racing at a million miles an hour. Something caught Gaia’s eye that could prove to be useful. She quickly grabbed the de-gun and aimed at Indigo. “Bow –“ Gaia gasped as the gun shot a glowing blue light at the brain bot and surrounded her, making her freeze. The brain bot then turned into a tiny glowing blue cube and Gaia gasped at what she did. She twisted her watch revealing her true form again.</p>
<p>“Oh my god! Indy!” She knelt and tapped the cube with her blue index finger curiously and found no response. “Daddy’s de-gun!” She whispered as she looked at the gun, noting that it was on the ‘dehydrate’ setting. Gaia turned her head around and heard the faint bowging of a group of brain bots searching the lair for her in an aggressive manner. She put the defuser gun in her schoolbag and placed it on her back, while she kept the de-gun in one hand. She decided that the de-gun may come in handy one way or another.</p>
<p>Gaia had everything she needed and knew that she had to escape while she still had the chance. Leaving behind her binky and the blueprint was a tough call, but she knew she had to leave them both behind if she ever had a chance to escape successfully. Adrenaline coursed through her veins as she ran as fast as her little legs could carry her towards the exit. She smiled as she was close, but her joy soon faded as Vida, Minion and Pinky blocked her way, making her skid suddenly and panic. Pinky bowged in a furious way and snapped her large metal jaws, while Minion and Vida remained silent with anger on their faces. Gaia’s feet instinctively moved backwards, and her mouth gaped open with fear.</p>
<p>“Blue, stop. You don’t know what you’re doing.” Minion said with caution.</p>
<p>“Give me the gun, Gaia.” Vida said simply. “I don’t know what you and Sadie are up to, but whatever it is, you’re not getting away with –“ Before Vida could finish, Gaia had confidently pulled the trigger of the de-gun and turned Minion into a small glowing cube. “Minion!” Vida gasped in surprise, and Pinky growled as she charged at Gaia aggressively, reaching out her single mechanical hand to grab the little girl. Gaia pulled the trigger and watched as Pinky also turned into a glowing blue cube.</p>
<p>Suddenly, the lair grew colder than normal to the point where Gaia could see her breath and she began to shiver. Vida’s demeanour quickly changed as she rolled up the long sleeves of her white blouse and held out her left hand and spread her fingers apart while she stood in a fencer stance. The little girl swore that she saw multiple silver jagged lines all over Vida’s forearms that looked like branches off a tree. “Gaia, I really didn’t want to do this, but you leave me with no –“ Gaia didn’t let Vida finish as she dehydrated her, transforming her into a small glowing blue cube that dropped next to the cube forms of Minion and Pinky.</p>
<p>“Bowg, bowg, bowg, bowg.” Gaia turned her head around and saw a large swarm of brain bots lead by Violet and Pearl. Gaia ran as fast as she could and the brain bots followed her, reaching their mechanical arms out to grab her. Her breathing became extremely fast and her throat was as dry as the Sahara Desert, making it difficult to breathe. She continued to look behind herself and saw that the brain bots were slowly gaining on her. Her adrenaline increased and she sprinted as fast as she could. She knew that she had to do something to get them off her tail. As she sprinted, she saw a stack of dynamite on her left and grabbed a stick. She managed to find a loose cable that had gold sparks flying from it and brushed the dynamite fuse against it and watched it catch alight. Gaia managed to simultaneously jump on the hoverboard and throw the dynamite stick at the swarm of brain bots.</p>
<p>Just as she was about to exit the lair, she felt a massive explosion from behind which deafened her and threw her off the hoverboard, making her scream as she flew in the air and land outside of the lair. Gaia felt her whole body collide with the hard concrete and she whined in pain. Her ears began to ring something chronic, her vision went blurry, and her whole body ached from the impact with the ground. Once her vision refocused, she weakly managed to lift herself with her arms and stand herself up, shaking her head to clear her mind. She turned around and her face was full of shock. “No!” She saw her hoverboard on the ground with sparks omitting from it and broken cables falling out of the advanced piece of technology. Her mind returned to the present and she panicked again. “Oh no, I gotta get out of here quick! At least I have the Defuser Gun. Hopefully, this will work, and Tighten can bring Daddy to justice!” She muttered to herself. Gaia twisted her watch once more and changed back to her Sadie Howard disguise. She then made a dash towards Metro City on foot with the hope that she could help Tighten become the hero once again.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>XXX</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Thunder clapped above Metro City and the clouds darkened into a horrible grey colour, threatening to rain heavily. Megamind and Roxanne Ritchie were glad to be inside of the Metro City Police Department and avoid the oncoming storm, as they were being taken to a surveillance room by Chief Reagan. The sixty-year-old Chief of Police expressed gratitude as the couple arrived promptly after he had called them over twenty minutes ago, and they immediately got to business. Chief Reagan opened the door and ushered Megamind and Roxanne inside the small room that had multiple computer screens glaring at them. Once inside, Megamind and Roxanne saw two figures into suits staring at them with their arms crossed. “Who are you two?” Megamind said in a tone that sounded defensive.</p>
<p>Chief Reagan stood beside the two well-dressed men as he introduced them. “Megamind, this is Kevin Blackmore and Jack Eddison: two of the finest lawyers in Metro City. Gentlemen, as you know, this is Megamind, the Defender of Metro City, and Roxanne Ritchie, one of the best reporters in the city.”</p>
<p>Kevin Blackmore was a slim man in his early forties who had short black hair, brown eyes and was dressed in a navy coloured suit with a black tie and black shoes. His slightly younger counterpart, Jack Eddison had a brilliant head of brown hair that was combed back neatly, and the man had piecing hazel eyes which was brought out by his black suit and red tie. Both the lawyers stretched out their hands and greeted the couple with a small smirk on their faces. “It is a pleasure to meet you both.” Kevin Blackmore spoke to them in a southern state accent.</p>
<p>Roxanne pointed her index finger at the pair with an intrigued look on her face. “I’ve seen you two somewhere before.” The two lawyers darted their eyes to each other as if they had been caught red-handed doing something bad. “That’s it! I’ve seen you in news reports. You two represented Tighten for his criminal appeal.” She concluded.</p>
<p>Megamind’s face immediately became sour and he stood in front of Roxanne protectively. “So, you’re the pair of goons responsible for this mess!”</p>
<p>“Megamind –“</p>
<p>“You have a lot to answer for!” Megamind growled.</p>
<p>Jack Eddison held out his hands calmly as he spoke. “We understand how you feel, Megamind. This has caused a lot of grief for you and your family. My partner and I want to help you and the police to catch Tighten as quick as possible. It’s clear that we made a grave mistake by representing him for his criminal appeal.”</p>
<p>Megamind crossed his arms defensively at the two lawyers. “Well I’m glad that you’ve realised that. Perhaps you’ll think twice next time a villain wants you to represent them in court.” Megamind seemed to subtly suggest that the pair were as good as what Chief Reagan portrayed them.</p>
<p>The door of the surveillance room opened, and the one and only Ethan Ritchie walked in and greeted everyone in the room. “Dad!” Roxanne ran up to her aging father and gave him a bear hug, which he happily received as he wrapped his arms around his only daughter.</p>
<p>“Oh, my little Roxie.” Ethan said as he kissed Roxanne’s short hair. The father and daughter parted themselves, and the formidable man looked at his son-in-law with serious blue eyes. “Megamind.”</p>
<p>Megamind tipped his head respectfully. “Ethan.”</p>
<p>“Sir.” Kevin and Jack raised their eyebrows in a greeting fashion, as they shook hands with the man.</p>
<p>“Jack. Ace. Good to see you two again.” Ethan smiled.</p>
<p>“Ace?” Megamind quizzed his father-in-law with a gaped mouth.</p>
<p>“Kevin’s nickname, as Mr Ritchie would know.” Jack Eddison clarified. “The three of us play poker together frequently.” Megamind shook his head and tried to refocus his thoughts.</p>
<p>“Mr Ritchie, good to see you.” Chief Reagan tipped his police hat to the respected CEO of Ritchie Technologies. “Thank you for providing us with the footage.”</p>
<p>“Of course. I’m more than happy to help you catch Tighten, and potentially find my granddaughter.”</p>
<p>One of the police officers who sat at a computer monitor began to scroll through the coloured camera footage that belonged to a street in the downtown area called Garrison Avenue. Everyone stood and watched as the camera footage played the night that Tighten had escaped. The minutes ticked away slowly, and it was becoming painful for both Megamind and Roxanne, as they watched small groups of people walk along the street on that fateful Thursday night. At the 10:45 pm mark that all changed, as they saw a single figure with an umbrella in their hand casually walk the dry streets. The rain had not started pouring down yet.</p>
<p>Roxanne’s blue eyes narrowed with concentration, as she saw the figure wearing a baseball cap walking past a small group of people. “Pause the footage.” She commanded the police officer controlling the monitor. “Can you zoom in?” Without another word, the officer tapped on the controls to magnify the footage and make the image clearer for everyone. The way the camera had been angled had given everyone in the room a clear image of the person’s face, despite their best attempts to conceal their face with a cap. Roxanne leaned in closer as she gazed at the figure’s features. Their body was short and stout in stature and they had a mop of red hair erupting from under the baseball cap. Roxanne’s beautiful blue eyes widened as she recognised the oval shaped face and beady brown eyes that belonged to her former cameraman. “That’s him.” She spoke with sadness.</p>
<p>“Ms Ritchie, are you sure?” Chief Reagan pressed.</p>
<p>Roxanne turned to face the Chief of Police confidently. “Yes. That’s Hal Stewart. I’d recognise him anywhere.”</p>
<p>“Tighten.” Kevin and Jack spoke simultaneously.</p>
<p>“Is this the only footage you have, Mr Ritchie?” Chief Reagan asked.</p>
<p>Ethan sighed sadly. “All of the cameras in the downtown area were either destroyed or severely damaged a few hours before this footage caught Tighten. This is the only camera that survived.” Ethan’s blue eyes then looked sorrowfully into Megamind’s green ones, as the blue man clutched onto Roxanne comfortingly. “I’m sorry.” Megamind could see the sadness deep in Ethan’s eyes, as if they were saying ‘I’m sorry there’s nothing of Gaia on the footage’ or ‘I wish there was more footage so we can stop Tighten before he causes chaos’.</p>
<p>Chief Reagan’s demeanour completely changed as he stood up tall and put on his best tone that commanded attention. “Mr Ritchie, you’ve done more than enough to help the police with their investigation.” He then turned to Roxanne. “Ms Ritchie, thank you for helping us identify Tighten so quickly.” Chief Reagan guided everyone out of the small surveillance room. “We will keep you all updated on the hunt for Tighten. He will be found one way or another, you have my word.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>XXX</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“How could anyone not recognise him!? He was in the downtown area and passed many people.” Roxanne’s voice was full of stress, as she sat in the invisible car with Megamind as they were on the way back to the lair. Outside of the car, the storm clouds had grown even darker and the rain began to bucket down heavily, making Megamind flick on his windscreen wipers on one of the fastest modes possible.</p>
<p>“Not everyone would immediately recognise Hal <em>Schtewart</em> like you would, Roxanne. You had worked with him for years, and don’t forget that he was wearing a hat to try and hide his identity.” Roxanne sighed at her husband’s comment. “At least we could clearly see where he was last seen in the city. Your father’s CCTV technology is well defined and has already given us a good lead on where he might be.”</p>
<p>“I guess we can thank my dad for that.”</p>
<p>Megamind chuckled. “We can thank your dad for many things.”</p>
<p>“Oh yeah?” Roxanne smirked.</p>
<p>“Well first off, I wouldn’t have you.” Megamind cocked an eyebrow confidently. “Secondly, Ethan didn’t kill me when I first met him, and when I asked him if I could marry you. And thirdly, since becoming the Defender of<em> Metrocity</em>, we’re doing business with each other.”</p>
<p>“Oh yes, none of your supplies come from an outlet store in Romania now. You have the best technological supplies only a short phone call away.”</p>
<p>“Hmm, there are perks of having a father-in-law.” The invisible car pulled into the lair and Megamind switched off the engine. Megamind opened the door for Roxanne and helped her out, as she kept one hand on her small belly protectively. “Anyway, we could see every detail of Hal <em>Schtewart</em> on the footage that was found. It’s a good start.”</p>
<p>Roxanne’s blue eyes looked absent as she walked further into the lair. “It is. It just boggles my mind that only one CCTV camera caught Hal in a small part of the downtown area.”</p>
<p>“Ethan did say that most of the cameras in the area had been damaged the day that Hal escaped prison.”</p>
<p>“This isn’t a coincidence.” Roxanne concluded.</p>
<p>Megamind shook his giant blue head. “No, this was planned. If someone helped Tighten escape the psychiatric ward, they would’ve made sure to damage any cameras in the city so that he could hide. Luckily for us, they didn’t find the camera that caught him.”</p>
<p>“I guess that’s one good thing about this whole situation. And now another question that needs answering is who on earth would want to help Hal escape the psych ward? It doesn’t make any sense at all!”</p>
<p>“Hmm, one of life’s great mysteries.” Megamind shrugged his shoulders.</p>
<p>“We better tell Minion and Vida about what the police found. We’ll tell Wayne after he gets back from his parent’s place.”</p>
<p>Megamind then looked around the lair and noticed that it was deathly quiet. “Minion, Vida, we’re back.” There was no answer.</p>
<p>“Minion? Vida?” Roxanne called out.</p>
<p>Megamind furrowed his brows in a suspicious manner. “Stay here.” He said as he touched Roxanne’s small bump protectively. Megamind whipped out his other de-gun as he walked towards his desk. Once he was by the desk, he noticed that it had been mildly disturbed as papers had been shuffled around. But what got Megamind concerned was that his other de-gun was gone. “What?” Megamind stood back in shock, and as he did, he felt a hard object underneath his custom baby seal leather boots. He stepped off it and saw a glowing blue cube. Megamind’s green eyes focused on the cube and he placed it on the desk and grabbed a glass of nearby water to rehydrate the cube. He waited a few moments and saw Indigo appear on the desk looking deflated.</p>
<p>“Indigo!” Roxanne ran up to Megamind and stood by his side as they both saw the little bot before them. Megamind looked at her somewhat disapprovingly as she didn’t listen to him.</p>
<p>“Bowg.” The youngest brain bot projected weakly.</p>
<p>Roxanne stroked the young brain bot’s glass top. “Oh Indy, what happened? Where’s Minion and Vida?” Roxanne stressed. Indigo simply lifted a single mechanical arm and pointed in the direction of where the defuser gun was located.</p>
<p>Megamind immediately rushed to where Indigo had led him. He turned the corner and found the smashed-up glass casing that once held the defuser gun. Megamind’s mouth immediately dropped and he gasped loudly in shock. “The Defuser Gun! NO!” He knelt on the ground and picked up the shattered shards of glass, not even caring that they were ripping his black gloves and making fine cuts into his blue skin. Amongst the glass he saw a blue glowing object that hummed in a low tone. “Gaia’s binky!” He picked up the object and traced his fingers over it. “She’s been here!” His brilliant green eyes then focused on a white piece of paper with colours scribbled all over it with the words <em>‘Operation Zero to Hero’ </em>written at the top.</p>
<p>“MEGAMIND!” The blue man immediately whipped his head around and ran into the direction of his wife’s distressed voice, putting the binky and peculiar piece of paper into his pocket. He skidded around the corner and saw Roxanne looking down at the ground at three blue cubes, while Violet and Pearl looked at Roxanne with their giant red eyes. Without a word, Megamind spilt water on all three cubes and watched as they transformed into Pinky, Minion and Vida. All three individuals looked fatigued and groaned as they lay on the ground motionless.</p>
<p>“Minion!” Megamind quickly helped up his dazed and confused fish friend onto his robotic feet. The blue hero then scooped up Pinky into his arms and stroked the top of her glass head, seeing the electricity within her glass top follow his fingers. “You’re okay, Pinky. Daddy’s got you now.” She bowged appreciatively at her daddy as she was comforted.</p>
<p>“Ugh.” Vida groaned.</p>
<p>“Vida!” Roxanne knelt to her best friend and attempted to touch her shoulder but was stopped as Vida held out a defensive hand at her.</p>
<p>“Don’t come near me.” The blonde woman spoke boldly.</p>
<p>“Are you okay?” Roxanne’s blue eyes quickly locked onto her best friend’s strange forearms. “Your arms! What happened to you!?” Instinctively, Vida rolled down the long sleeves of her blouse as she looked at Roxanne.</p>
<p>“I tried to stop them. I’m so sorry, Roxie.” Vida spoke as she propped herself onto her hands.</p>
<p><em>“Them?”</em> Megamind asked as his brilliant green eyes widened.</p>
<p>“Gaia. She was with a little girl named Sadie. They took the Defuser Gun and the other de-gun!” Minion said as he brushed himself down.</p>
<p>“WHAT!?” Roxanne practically yelled at her friends as her voice echoed along the walls of the lair. “Sadie Howard?” Roxanne’s brows furrowed as she stood up quickly. Vida nodded her head weakly as she stood herself up.</p>
<p>“How do you know of the child?” Megamind wondered, as he held onto Roxanne’s hand.</p>
<p>“She always bullied Gaia at school.” Roxanne spoke sadly. “I met her when Gaia got suspended because she fought with her on the school trip. But what was she doing with Sadie? They both hate each other. It doesn’t make sense!”</p>
<p>Megamind showed the blueprint and Gaia’s binky to everyone. “I found Gaia’s binky and this piece of paper where the defuser gun belonged.”</p>
<p>Roxanne snatched the paper from Megamind’s gloved hands and analysed it carefully. <em>“’Operation Zero to Hero’.”</em> She read aloud with her brows furrowed in confusion.</p>
<p>“<em>Operation Zero to Hero?</em> What does that mean?” Vida asked with confusion.</p>
<p>“Whatever it means, it’s not good! They took the Defuser Gun and the other de-gun with them. They have no idea what kind of havoc they’ll create.” Minion commented.</p>
<p>“Oh god, this isn’t good!” Megamind murmured. “Why would they do that?” Megamind’s eyes widened as he internally answered his own question. “Zero to hero…”</p>
<p>Everyone else’s eyes also widened in fear, realising the truth. “TIGHTEN!”</p>
<p>Megamind’s breathing increased and he began to sound wheezy. “No! That’s not possible! Gaia knows how dangerous he is!” His grip unintentionally tightened on Pinky as he held his eldest brain bot in one arm. “Minion! Check the monitors! Now!” Megamind’s fantastic fish friend ran as fast as his gorilla-like robot suit would allow him. The blue genius let go of his precious pink brain bot and let her hover in mid-air comfortably. “Pinky. Gather the brain bots!” The matriarch of the brain bots flew into action and bowed loudly so that all of the brain bots in the lair could hear her. Megamind focused his green eyes on Vida and stood in front of her, as she began to fix her platinum blonde hair so that it was tied up neatly in a high ponytail. “Are you alright, Vida?” He said with genuine concern. Even in serious situations, he was still a gentleman to not only his wife, but to Wayne Scott’s long-time girlfriend.</p>
<p>“I’m fine, seriously.” She calmed him.</p>
<p>“Did Gaia <em>see</em> you?” Megamind’s tone changed into a serious one.</p>
<p>“No. I don’t think so. Ugh.” Vida was clearly still confused from the dehydration effects as she rubbed one of her temples. “I was going to try and stop her. She was leaving me with no choice but –“</p>
<p>“But what?” Roxanne cut in.</p>
<p>“It doesn’t matter. What matters now is that we find our little girl as fast as we can.” Megamind said.</p>
<p>“Sir!” Minion’s echo bounced off the lair’s walls in a stressed tone, and everyone looked into the direction where the monitors were located. Megamind immediately ran to the other end of the lair to meet Minion, leaving Roxanne and Vida standing and staring at each other somewhat awkwardly.</p>
<p>Roxanne sighed as she walked towards her friend. “Vida, will you tell me what’s going on, or will I have to use my nosy reporter skills on you?”</p>
<p>Vida automatically backed away from her friend and looked to the side, not daring to meet her blue eyes. “Roxie, I can’t. It’s hard to explain to you.”</p>
<p>“V, we’ve been best friends since middle school. Whatever it is that is going on, you can tell me. You know that, right?” Vida continued to back away from her friend in fear, as Roxanne held out a hand to her. “Please let me come near you.” Roxanne’s tone became serious as it was laced with annoyance. Vida didn’t answer her and kept on backing away from her. “Why won’t you tell me what’s wrong? What are you hiding from me, Vida? What does Megamind know that I don’t!?”</p>
<p>“I-I just can’t explain, Roxie. Not now.” Vida tried to muster what energy she had left to stand up to Roxanne. “I swear that one day I will tell you, but right now I just can’t. Roxanne please, trust me.” She ended in a defeated tone.</p>
<p>Roxanne sighed loudly and shut her eyes briefly before looking back at her friend. “Okay fine. I trust you.” The renowned reporter immediately felt a world of guilt, as she pressed her friend in a forceful manner. It was clear that Roxanne deeply cared for her childhood friend and only wanted to help her, but her inquisitive nature was making Vida scared. Roxanne knew that her best friend was still traumatised by her encounter with the four members of the Doom Syndicate six years ago and had become a sensitive soul as a result. Roxanne had always wondered what on earth the Doom Syndicate had done to her to make her fall into fear and silence. Did they harm her? Did they torture her? Roxanne had never got to the bottom of it. She had tried to ask her best friend on multiple occasions, but of course, the blonde woman either dismissed Roxanne or told her that it was still too painful to talk about. <em>‘She should be the one to tell you what happened, not me’</em> Megamind’s wise words from a year ago echoed in Roxanne’s mind.</p>
<p>“VIDA! ROXANNE!” Megamind’s voice shrilled as he called out to the two best friends. The tension between the two friends subsided and they ran side by side towards the monitors. The two friends found Megamind and Minion standing silently as their mouths gaped widely at the monitors of the lair, as they watched footage play that had caught Gaia and ‘Sadie’ snooping around the lair barely an hour ago.</p>
<p>“There’s Sadie!” Vida pointed at the little girl who entered the lair on the hoverboard with ease.</p>
<p>“But where is Gaia?” Roxanne wondered.</p>
<p>Everyone watched the footage play and saw ‘Sadie Howard’ using Gaia’s binky to break into the glass casing and take the defuser gun. They watched on as the brain bots flew ‘Sadie’ out of sight. Another camera had caught Gaia with the defuser gun in her schoolbag and the de-gun in one of her little hands, as she pointed it threateningly at Minion, Vida and Pinky. Megamind sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose as he watched Gaia dehydrate all three individuals and make a dash for the exit. The cameras then focused on the outside of the lair, and everyone watched as Gaia had been catapulted out of the lair by the blast she had caused. She panicked as the hoverboard was now broken. The little blue girl got onto her feet and twisted her watch, and everyone gasped as they watched Gaia transform into the one and only Sadie Howard. The disguised Gaia then ran as fast as she could towards the city with the defuser gun in her bag and the de-gun in her hand.</p>
<p>“Gaia wasn’t with Sadie… she <em>was </em>Sadie!” Roxanne’s eyes became watery at the realisation.</p>
<p>“MINION!” Megamind yelled at his fantastic fish friend.</p>
<p>The obedient fish looked at his best friend with wide brown eyes. “I swear I never taught her how to use the scan mode on the watch, Sir! I swear!” He spoke honestly with a high pitch.</p>
<p>“She must’ve figured it out on her own!” Vida commented with worry.</p>
<p>Megamind’s blue face scrunched up in anger and his tone became dark. “She’s too clever for her own good!”</p>
<p>“No wonder why no one could find her.” Roxanne whispered in disbelief.</p>
<p>“And now she’s got the defuser gun –“ Vida murmured sadly.</p>
<p>“And she’s taking it to Hal! We have to stop her now!” Roxanne shrieked.</p>
<p>Vida pulled out her mobile phone from her pocket and scrolled through her contacts list. “I’ll try and get hold of Wayne and tell him! He might be able to find her quickly!” Vida put the phone to her ear and waited for her boyfriend to answer the call. “Come on, Wayne, pick up!” Unfortunately for everyone, Wayne’s phone went straight to voicemail and Vida’s heart sank. “Damnit, I can’t reach him! The storm must be interfering with the mobile network!”</p>
<p>“Meg, what do we do!?” Roxanne spoke with a panic.</p>
<p>Megamind put his gloved fingers to his mouth and whistled loudly to his faithful swarm of brain bots. All of them hovered to their daddy and waited for his command. “Brain bots! Search the city for Gaia disguised as Sadie Howard! Bring her home along with the Defuser Gun! NOW!”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em>To be continued...</em>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>OMG! So much happened in this one!<br/>Who sabotaged the cameras and helped Hal/Tighten go relatively undetected in the city? What on earth is Vida hiding from Roxanne? Will Megamind find Gaia before it's too late? Stay tuned to find out what happens next.<br/>If you're liking this story, give it a kudos and comment your thoughts on this story, I'd love to hear feedback from you guys. Maybe even bookmark the story so you can keep updated with this story.<br/>Take care and I will be back when I have completed the next chapter :) xxx</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0015"><h2>15. Friendship</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Wow! This story has reached another milestone by reaching 200 hits and nearly 20 kudos! Thanks to all of you who have been reading my first ever story. And an even bigger thanks to those who have commented on how much they are liking this story, you guys are awesome! <br/>Anyway enjoy the next chapter of Little Blue :) xxx</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <strong>Chapter 15 – Friendship</strong>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>The storm clouds above Metro City were a dark grey colour and thunder clapped loudly and lightning illuminated the sky. The rain clashed heavily onto the pavement, and those who were unfortunate not to carry umbrellas on their person were running frantically in the rain. Among those that were running in the rain was young Gaia Ritchie in disguise. For miles, she had been running with the defuser gun and de-gun shoved in her schoolbag, and the weights of both guns were fatiguing the little girl as she carried them on her back. She was exhausted. It didn’t help that she was getting soaking wet through and the cold rain was making her body feel numb. She had managed to get into the financial district of the city and even though the weather was horrible, she was surprised to find that the streets were full of people that afternoon.</p>
<p>Gaia was standing with a large crowd at a traffic crossing nervously waiting for the pedestrian lights to turn green. Once she heard the lights beep and the crossing turn green, she sprinted across the street as fast as her little legs would let her. She then heard a sizzling sound by her wrist and then felt a small electric shock. Gaia looked down with terror as she saw her holo-watch begin to break as the water had damaged it. “No, no, no! Come on!” The watch failed her, and the public all stopped in their tracks as they watched a blue light surround the disguised Gaia and return her to her normal self. Everyone gasped in shock as they saw the little blue girl whose face had been plastered all over the news in the last few days. Gaia’s head slowly lifted, and her brilliant green eyes focused on everyone who was staring at her with absolute shock.</p>
<p>“It can’t be!” A man murmured.</p>
<p>“No way!” A second man said.</p>
<p>“That’s Megamind’s daughter!” Another whispered. Gaia looked at everyone in a panic and she felt as if her heart was about to beat itself out of her chest. Instinctively she began to back away from the crowd slowly.</p>
<p>“Are you okay?” A woman’s voice asked her from the side.</p>
<p>Gaia immediately reached for the de-gun from one of the pockets of her schoolbag and pointed the device at everyone threateningly. “Get back you savages!” She growled at them. Everyone gasped and yelped in surprise and backed away from the little girl quickly.</p>
<p>“Someone call the police!” Another woman yelled to the crowd. Gaia immediately made a run for it and disappeared down another main street. The little girl didn’t dare stop running as she felt as though she was now being hunted.</p>
<p>It wasn’t long until a swarm of blue brain bots lead by Pinky hovered above the streets and had located Gaia. “BOWG, BOWG, BOWG!” All of them sounded the alarm and chased after her with haste. People that were nearby let out little shrieks as they saw the brain bots hunt the little girl as if she were their prey.</p>
<p><em>‘Oh no! Daddy must know!’</em> Gaia thought to herself. Gaia’s breaths became shallow and she felt like she was struggling to get air into her lungs as she ran as fast as she could. She knew that she had to hide somewhere, but the streets were too exposed and populated with far too many people – she would stick out like a sore thumb if she tried to blend in with crowds. The swarm was gaining on her fast, and Gaia knew that she had to do something to get them away from her.</p>
<p>The thunder in the sky clapped again and the rain poured down harder than before, to the point that vision in the city became exceptionally low. Cars had their headlights on and windscreen wipers swishing back and forth swiftly. Gaia thanked whatever powers above controlled the weather as she noticed that the brain bots became confused in the rain and were losing sight of her. Gaia took this lucky opportunity to run into an alleyway that would lead her to the downtown area of the city. Gaia didn’t dare look behind herself and kept on running, despite the immense fatigue building inside of her. She was about to exit the alleyway until she heard the brain bot pack bowging nearby. She skidded hard and stopped in her tracks. If they were to turn into the alleyway she would be spotted immediately. Gaia looked around the narrow alleyway in a panic, darting her green eyes around to see where she could hide.</p>
<p>She breathed a small sigh of relief as she saw a narrow gap between two brick buildings on her left that she could squeeze through. Without another thought, the little girl squished herself between the buildings and remained quiet as she heard the brain bots turn into the alleyway and look for her. Gaia screwed her eyes shut and pressed her lips together, making sure that she wouldn’t let out a sound. She prayed that the intelligent little machines wouldn’t look her way and see her squished between the two buildings.</p>
<p>The brain bot pack lead by Pinky hovered away and made a bowging sound as they continued the search for Gaia. The little girl opened her eyes and let out a choked laugh. She had no idea why she was laughing. Perhaps it was due to a stress she had never experienced before, or perhaps it was because she found the whole situation quite thrilling. Gaia knew that she didn’t have time to figure out why she was laughing and knew that she had to move before she would be spotted. The six-year-old girl turned her head to the right and saw that the gap between the buildings extended out to the neighbouring street. Gaia quietly sidled against the building her back was facing, feeling the rough texture of the bricks scrubbing against her schoolbag.</p>
<p>Before she exited the narrow gap, she peeked her head out and looked at her surroundings to see if any brain bots were near or if the street was populated with people. Confident that she was free to make a move, Gaia dashed out of the gap she had been hiding in and ran down the street. Up ahead she saw the apartment block that she and Hal had been hiding in for the last ten days, and she breathed a sigh of relief knowing that she would be okay. Gaia made a dash for the apartment block, but quickly stopped in her tracks once again as the brain bot pack hovered past the apartment block. Gaia figured that she wasn’t out of the woods just yet, and darted down a small side street to try and make a detour. As she made her way to the end of the side street, she was confronted by a single blue brain bot.</p>
<p>“Bowg!” It growled aggressively as it snapped its large metal jaws at Gaia, as she gasped in surprise. Gaia immediately began to back away while she pointed the de-gun at it. “Bowg!”</p>
<p>She knew that the dehydration setting wouldn’t buy her enough time to escape due to the rainfall, and the brain bot would catch her in no time. Without taking her eyes off the brain bot, she switched the gun's setting from ‘dehydrate’ to ‘destroy’. The blue brain bot went to grab Gaia with its four mechanical arms, but was stopped as the little girl pulled the trigger and shot the little bot. Gaia almost screamed in shock as she watched the brain bot get short circuited, and it looked as though it was having a big seizure, as its mechanical arms flopped around randomly and its body moved in frantic motions. It dropped onto the hard pavement and the light in the blue bot’s giant red eye began fade away, and the electricity that had been dancing in its glass top had dissipated. She had killed it.</p>
<p>“Oh my god, what have I done!?” Gaia wondered out loud, clearly shocked by the power of the de-gun in her little hand. It seemed that the brain bots had picked up on the commotion nearby and closed in on Gaia in the side street, as they constantly bowged and snapped their metal jaws.</p>
<p>Police sirens echoed throughout the city, and Gaia swore that she was done for. But to her pleasant surprise, she saw multiple police cars whizz past with their sirens blaring and lights flashing, and the swarm of brain bots decided to follow the police cars, clearly interested to see where they were going. Gaia had never felt so lucky in her life until now. She knew that her luck would run out soon, and without another thought she sprinted to the apartment block whilst the brain bots were distracted.</p>
<p>Gaia burst into the small apartment and quickly slammed the door shut. She threw her schoolbag on the floor and collapsed against the door. Her breathing was high pitched and ragged. She felt as if her throat had been cut as it was extremely dry. Her chest was rising and falling rapidly as her heartbeat banged like a drum and adrenaline coursed through her veins.</p>
<p>“I’ll call you back later. She’s here.” Hal hung up his mobile phone in shock. “Jesus! Gaia, are you okay!?” Hal ran to her side and touched her small shoulder in a comforting manner.</p>
<p>Gaia weakly nodded her head as her green eyes sparkled. “I’m fine.” She breathed. “Water.” She pointed to the kitchen tap, and Hal immediately grabbed a glass and filled it for her. He put the glass to her lips and he watched as she drank the glass within a matter of moments. Gaia’s head heavily rested on the door and she closed her eyes trying to regain her breaths.</p>
<p>Hal gazed at Gaia and noticed that she was beginning to shiver from the cold, and her body was completely soaked from the rain. Strands of her short brunette hair had fallen out of her pigtails and stuck to her blue face. Hal stood up and went into the bathroom and grabbed a dry towel for Gaia and wrapped it around her. “You must be freezing!” He began to rub her head and shoulders with the towel, attempting to try and dry her body. Hal’s statement seemed to make Gaia shiver even more and she fell into Hal’s soft arms, trying to seek extra warmth.</p>
<p>Hours had passed since Gaia had returned to the small apartment. The rain had ceased and night had fallen over Metro City. Since returning from her daring mission, Hal had provided a hot bubble bath for the little girl allowing her to get warm and relax from the stress she had experienced. Gaia Ritchie sat at the dining table in a white t-shirt and black skirt while her blue hands were wrapped around a large mug of steaming hot chocolate with pink and white marshmallows floating on the top. She took a sip and felt the creamy drink warm her immediately. She hummed as she tasted the sweetness and thanked Hal for taking care of her and making sure that she was okay.</p>
<p>“What happened, Gaia?” Hal asked her, as he sat opposite her with a mug of coffee in one hand.</p>
<p>“I nearly got caught by my family when I went back home. My watch got broken in the rain, and Daddy’s brain bots found me on the streets when I was coming back here. I thought that I was going to get caught. It was so scary!” She breathed.</p>
<p>“Did those things see you come into this apartment block?” Hal asked her seriously.</p>
<p>Gaia shook her head vigorously. “No. I made sure that they didn’t see me.” Gaia took another sip of her hot chocolate. “I got the gun containing your powers, but it wasn’t easy.”</p>
<p>Hal’s brown eyes lit up immediately and he smiled at the child. “You got it? Where is it?”</p>
<p>“In my schoolbag.” Gaia pointed her index finger to her wet bag that had the defuser gun poking out of the largest pocket.</p>
<p>Hal stood up and rubbed Gaia’s dry hair affectionately. “Oh, I knew you could do it! You clever girl!” Hal strolled over to where Gaia’s wet schoolbag sat on the floor and he opened the zip to find the large gun sitting in her bag. “At last!” He picked up the gun and held onto it triumphantly. “My powers can be returned to me! Tighten will return better than ever before!” He smirked at the walls as if he were talking to some other being.</p>
<p>“And you can bring Daddy to justice!” Gaia smiled as she jumped out of her seat and stood beside Hal with excitement.</p>
<p>“Of course. But there’s one last thing that I need you to do for me.”</p>
<p>“Yes?”</p>
<p>Hal gave the defuser gun to Gaia, and he backed away from her whilst keeping his eyes focused on her. “You have to shoot me, Gaia.”</p>
<p>“What!” Her brilliant green eyes widened with surprise.</p>
<p>“That’s how I’ll get my powers back.”</p>
<p>Gaia gazed to the side before she looked back at the red-haired man. “Will, will it hurt you?” She asked considerately.</p>
<p>Hal shrugged his shoulders in a casual manner. “Not really. It just feels like a bee flying up your nose.”</p>
<p>Gaia’s nose scrunched up at the thought. “That doesn’t sound very nice.”</p>
<p>“It’s a little uncomfortable, but it goes away eventually.” He smiled. Gaia smiled back at her friend, but doubt began to creep in the back of her mind and her gut was telling her that something was off. She lowered the gun to the ground which was followed by her gaze. “What’s wrong, Gaia?” Hal asked.</p>
<p>Gaia blinked quickly and breathed a loud sigh that was filled with confusion. “I-I don’t know if I should be doing this, Hal.” She stammered.</p>
<p>Hal lifted his arms in the air. “Why not?” There was a hint of irritation in his voice.</p>
<p>Gaia shook her head somewhat absent-minded as she stared at the carpeted floor. “I don’t know. It doesn’t feel right.”</p>
<p>“Oh, come on, Gaia.” Hal spoke to her in a sweet way. “We’ve come this far, haven’t we?” He began to approach her slowly and knelt in front of her. He gently cupped her left cheek and rubbed it in a caring manner as he smiled at her. “I found you on the streets all alone that night, and I took you in without a second thought after you told me that your parents didn’t love you anymore. You put yourself in danger for me and you sneaked into your home to get my powers back for me. We’ve got each other’s backs, kid. We are a team. We are friends, aren’t we?” He ended softly.</p>
<p>Gaia’s face relaxed as she looked into Hal’s brown eyes. Something in her subconscious was screaming at her that something felt wrong, but Hal’s smile and words of friendship made her feelings of doubt begin to subside. All her life, Gaia had been told that people like Hal were dangerous, but right now Gaia couldn’t see any evil in Hal. Perhaps Hal was truly the good guy and her father was truly the villain. Gaia ignored the doubts in her mind and knew that she had to trust her new friend. She lifted her head confidently and smiled weakly at Hal. “We are the very best of friends.”</p>
<p>Hal stood up and backed away from Gaia again as he prepared himself. “Then as my friend, you know what you have to do.” Gaia stood up confidently and she aimed the defuser gun at Hal. “I’m ready when you’re ready, kid.” Hal nodded to her.</p>
<p>Gaia's blue index finger relaxed on the trigger while her left hand steadied the large glowing gun. In a way, she felt extremely nervous about what she was about to do. Then again, within the last few hours she had dehydrated three family members and destroyed a brain bot who tried to stop her from getting back to Hal. She shook her head of the recent memories and held her breath as she pulled the trigger. She felt the gun jolt back into her shoulder harshly as the glowing substance from the gun flew through the air like a solid bullet and hit Hal directly in one of his nostrils. Hal yelled in pain as the substance hit his nose and the force of the gunshot had propelled him to the other side of the apartment. His back hit a bookshelf and multiple books fell on top of him, quickly followed by the bookshelf itself. “HAL!” Gaia panicked and dropped the now empty defuser gun and ran to where Hal had been buried. “Hal, are you okay!?”</p>
<p>Smoke then began to rise from the fallen bookshelf and Gaia swore that the smoke smelled like singed hair. <em>‘I think it’s working!</em> She thought to herself. She slowly backed away from the bookshelf as she heard a high-pitched noise and saw a golden light shining from underneath it. The noise and golden light became more intense as the bookshelf and books surrounding it were beginning to shake. The small apartment also began to shake as if there was an earthquake happening. Gaia continued to back away and shielded her brilliant green eyes from the blinding light. She ducked and screamed as the bookshelf broke into multiple pieces and books went flying across the room. She covered her giant blue head with her hands and her back was facing the bookshelf.</p>
<p>The apartment stopped shaking and the high pitched noise ceased. Gaia's ears pricked up as she heard movement underneath the mountain of books and broken wood. “Hal?” She turned her body around and watched as a tall and muscular man rose from the mess in a god-like fashion. Hal's t-shirt was tightly fitting his toned torso, and his jean pants now became jean shorts. His red hair was now fuzzy and wild. Hal looked at Gaia momentarily before he closed his eyes and inhaled deeply as he embraced his new form. His brown eyes flashed open and he smirked at Gaia in a cocky fashion.</p>
<p>“It worked!” She exclaimed.</p>
<p>“Yes. Tighten is back!”</p>
<p>Gaia gently approached the new and improved Hal Stewart. “Now that you’ve got your powers back, we can bring Daddy to justice and avenge Metro Man!” She beamed him a smile.</p>
<p>Hal picked up the defuser gun as if it were as light as a feather and stroked the barrel of the gun as a strange smirk spread across his oval shaped face. “You have no idea how long I’ve waited for this moment.” The red-haired man then harshly smashed the empty defuser gun against the wall, making it break into tiny little pieces. “Now Megamind can never take away my powers ever again.” Hal then knelt down at the little girl and grinned at her. “Gaia, I can’t thank you enough for what you’ve done for me. It means a lot.”</p>
<p>“So, what’s the plan now?” She wondered.</p>
<p>Hal sighed happily before he spoke. “We don’t want to make any big moves just yet. Megamind’s robot things will be crawling all over Metro City’s streets looking for us.” Gaia looked down to the ground a little disappointed. She then lifted her head and saw a small smirk on Hal’s face. “How about I take you out for a little night flight around the city now? It’ll be my treat.” Gaia’s eyes gazed up and down at Hal nervously. “A-as a way of saying thank you for everything you’ve done.” The muscular man stammered.</p>
<p>“You, you won’t drop me?” Gaia’s face was plastered with worry.</p>
<p>Hal chuckled to himself and he held onto her small shoulders firmly. “No, no way. I’ll keep you safe, I promise.” Gaia’s green eyes looked at Hal as he began to hover in mid-air, already showing her what he was capable of. “Do you trust me?”</p>
<p>Gaia’s concern slowly melted away and her eyes widened with excitement as she nodded her head slowly. “I trust you.”</p>
<p>Hal knelt down and faced his back to Gaia, gesturing for her to climb onto his back. “Come on then, let’s go.” Gaia keenly climbed onto Hal’s muscular back, gripped onto his shoulders with her little blue hands and wrapped her legs around his waist. “You might wanna hold on tight, kid. I’m pretty fast!” Gaia didn’t need telling twice and gripped onto the fabric of his tight t-shirt as if her hands were a python gripping onto its prey. The pair of them smashed through the apartment window and flew off into the dark night.</p>
<p>Gaia could feel her heart beating fast as Hal gracefully flew through the night sky. Megamind’s daughter didn’t dare look down at the ground and kept her eyes shut, and her breathing increased as she gripped onto to Hal for dear life. The wind blew against her blue face and she felt it brush through her short flowing brunette hair. “Are you okay back there?” Hal shouted against the wind and must have known that she wasn’t looking around.</p>
<p>“How high up are we!?” Gaia sounded a little terrified.</p>
<p>“Open your eyes and see.” He said confidently as he stopped in the air.</p>
<p>The statement made Gaia’s grip tighten on Hal’s shirt and she nuzzled her face into his left shoulder. “No!”</p>
<p>“Come on, you’re missing out on the fun! The city looks really cool up here!” Gaia ignored him and tightened her grip even more. “Remember you said you trusted me? Trust me when I say this is really cool. Open your eyes.”</p>
<p>Gaia’s grip seemed to relax a little and she lifted her head and slowly opened her eyes. She gasped in awe as she saw a sea of city lights flickering below and cars travelling down the bright streets, it was as if the city had only just woken up from a slumber. “Wow!” She whispered.</p>
<p>Hal turned his head and could see Gaia in his peripheral vision. “See, I told you.” Hal slowly began to move through the air, being cautious that Gaia was quite scared of being up so high.</p>
<p>“I’ve never seen the city like this. It’s so pretty!” She smiled.</p>
<p>Hal chuckled happily. “Wanna keep moving?” Gaia nodded her head, and Hal slowly flew through the sky. Gaia began to relax even more, as Hal’s body was prone as he flew past large business buildings and tall skyscrapers. Gaia’s eyes darted around the illuminated city and began to enjoy her little night flight with her friend.</p>
<p>As Hal continued to fly in a prone position, Gaia’s hands slowly began to let go of his shoulders while her legs remained wrapped around him tightly. “Woohoo!” Gaia shouted happily, as her arms spread out as if she were a bird in flight. She felt so free and she loved it! “THIS IS AMAZING!” She yelled to Hal against the wind. The red-haired superhuman heartily laughed as she continued to shout at how amazing the whole experience was.</p>
<p>“Hang on tight, kid! I’ll show you what I can do!” Gaia immediately gripped back onto Hal and she felt him speed through the air like a shooting star.</p>
<p>“Woohoo!” Gaia yelled again, as Hal darted around tall buildings and performed multiple backflips in the air. The pair flew through the air for fifteen minutes, and Hal decided to take a break at the top of Metro City Tower. He felt her slide off his back and plant her feet firmly on the building. She clutched onto the pole to keep herself stable as the wind blew strongly. “Oh my god, that was soooo cool!” Gaia squealed with excitement.</p>
<p>“I know right!” Hal beamed a warm smile at her, as he casually flew around her in an effortless manner. “Having powers is pretty cool! Wanna see what else I can do?”</p>
<p>“Yeah!”</p>
<p>Hal stood on the tower firmly and smirked at the little girl confidently. “Want some churros?”</p>
<p>Gaia’s face scrunched up in confusion. “Churros? What’s that got to do with your powers?” She wondered.</p>
<p>“Watch.” It was as if a flicker occurred as Hal simply stood on the tower, and within the blink of an eye, he had a tray of churros drizzled in chocolate and caramel sauce in one hand confidently.</p>
<p>“Whoa! How did you do that!?” Gaia walked forward and grabbed a drizzled churro from Hal.</p>
<p>Hal’s grin spread across his face as he stood with a hand on his hip smugly. “I have super speed too.”</p>
<p>“That is super cool!” She bit into her churro and tasted the combination of the sweet sauces and the cinnamon. “<em>You</em> are super cool!” She spoke with her mouth full.</p>
<p>“Yeah.” Hal said as he bit into a churro and looked at Gaia with low set eyes with a smug look on his face. It was clear that he was enjoying the compliments she was giving him. His face then dropped, and he turned his head away from Gaia. “But I would be cooler if I was wearing my super suit.”</p>
<p>Gaia’s eyes blinked quickly as she finished eating her churro. “Your super suit? I know where it is!” She smiled.</p>
<p>“Where is it?”</p>
<p>“At the Megamind Museum in the villain section. It’s displayed next to the Doom Syndicate’s suits.”</p>
<p>Hal furrowed his red brows curiously at the little girl. “The Doom Syndicate?” He wondered.</p>
<p>Gaia’s eyes darted from side to side before she looked back at Hal nervously. “Yeah. They were a bunch of bad guys my daddy fought before I was born.”</p>
<p>“Oh.” He said simply with a bored tone.</p>
<p>“Um, so when are we going to get your suit back, Hal?” Gaia wondered innocently.</p>
<p>Hal’s demeanour completely changed as his beady brown eyes looked at Gaia darkly. “The name is Tighten, not Hal!” Gaia backed away from him and pushed herself against the pole of the tower. “Sorry, kid. I didn’t mean to shout at you.” He sighed before he hovered in mid-air again. “We won’t be getting it just yet. Megamind will expect me to go to his precious museum and steal it as soon as possible. No. We are going to do something else before we get my suit.”</p>
<p>“What are we going to do?”</p>
<p>Hal smirked at the little girl and gracefully hovered over to her. “A heist.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em>To be continued...</em>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Hmm, what kind of heist are Hal and Gaia going to pull off? Stay tuned to find out what happens next?<br/>If you're liking this story, give it a kudos and comment your thoughts, I'd love to hear what you guys think of my story (and it also fuels my creative writing and inspiration for this story). Take care and I will be back soon :) xxx</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0016"><h2>16. Team Tighten</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Hello everyone, and welcome back to Little Blue!</p>
<p>Here is another action-packed chapter. I will warn you that there is a tiny bit of violence in this chapter. If this offends you I do apologize in advance. </p>
<p>Anyway enjoy this chapter :) xxx</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <strong>Chapter 16 – Team Tighten</strong>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>For the last three days, Megamind and Roxanne Ritchie had not slept well as their minds were plagued by Tighten’s inevitable return. Ever since Megamind had found out that Gaia had stolen the defuser gun for Hal, he had warned the Metro City Police about what had happened and that they should be prepared for his return. Megamind himself was also preparing for Tighten’s return knowing that he would want his super suit back sooner rather than later and knew that he would attack the Megamind Museum soon. The question was when was he going to attack? Every time Megamind closed his eyes, he could see the memory of Hal Stewart’s evil smirk when he was being taken to the Metro City Psychiatric Institute. He knew that something was up, he knew it! And yet, no one really listened to him. Not even the Warden! He felt defeated. Now his worst fears had come true: Tighten was back, and he had used his precious little girl to help him. Megamind had felt like he had failed as a parent. He had sworn to protect her no matter what and shield her from the evils of the world, but by doing so he had also kept many truths from her. He had failed Gaia and in turn, he had failed the love of his life: Roxanne Ritchie.</p>
<p>Megamind lay in bed early in the morning and blankly stared at the ceiling, while he cuddled Roxanne close to his bare chest as she slept. His brilliant green eyes were red, and he had dark circles under them. The incredibly handsome genius had never felt and looked so stressed in all his life.</p>
<p>A sudden beeping sound resonated in the bedroom, and Megamind shot up and reached for his mobile phone that rested on the bedside table. Roxanne groaned from the rude awakening and clutched onto Megamind’s slim torso even more, not wanting to let him go. “Whoever you are, you better have a good reason to be calling me at nearly 6 o’clock in the god damn morning!” Megamind spoke with anger seething in his tone as he held the phone to his ear.</p>
<p>
  <em>“I’m beginning to regret letting you marry my daughter if you have a temper like that in the morning.”</em>
</p>
<p>Megamind sighed heavily, closed his eyes, and dragged his other hand down his face. “Ah, Ethan. Sorry about that, it’s been a stressful time.” Roxanne opened her eyes and sat up with interest.</p>
<p><em>“You’re not the only one having a stressful time, Megamind.”</em> Megamind’s face scrunched up as Ethan’s tone was full of authority and dominance. Even over the phone, Megamind stilled feared Roxanne’s wealthy father. <em>“Listen, you have to come down to my office now. Chief Reagan is already here.”</em></p>
<p>Megamind sat forward in bed. “What? What is Chief Reagan doing at Ritchie Technologies?”</p>
<p>
  <em>“We had a massive break in last night, and thousands of dollars of stock has been stolen.”</em>
</p>
<p>“You’re kidding me!” Megamind sounded surprised.</p>
<p>
  <em>“You better get here quickly; this isn’t any ordinary theft.”</em>
</p>
<p>“What does that mean?”</p>
<p>
  <em>“This one is close to home for both of us.”</em>
</p>
<p>Megamind’s brilliant green eyes widened as he realised what Ethan meant. “Gaia!” Roxanne gasped as Megamind said her name.</p>
<p>Ethan hummed on the other end of the phone confirming Megamind’s suspicions. <em>“And she wasn’t on her own.”</em></p>
<p>Megamind’s eyes darted from side to side anxiously. <em>‘No! She was with Tighten! This is bad!’ </em>Megamind internally thought. “Okay, okay, I’ll be there as soon as I can!” The blue man then hung up the phone hastily.</p>
<p>Roxanne held onto Megamind’s lap, and the blue man could feel her digging her fingernails into him anxiously. “Meg, what’s happened? Is Gaia okay!?” Her voice was shaky.</p>
<p>“No. She’s broken into your father’s company with Tighten!”</p>
<p>Roxanne’s blue eyes immediately became watery and she covered her mouth to try and stop herself from sobbing loudly. “Oh my god! Surely it’s not true! What has Tighten done to our little girl!?”</p>
<p>Megamind jumped out of the bed and his face looked seriously at his wife. “He’s turned her against us. She has become the very thing we tried to protect her from: bad!” He then whistled for the brain bots, who quickly entered the bedroom and covered him with a changing curtain. Roxanne heard spandex material being stretched as her husband put on his suit.</p>
<p>The brain bots lifted the curtain and revealed Megamind in a white version of his usual suit with a long blue lightning bolt in the middle. Draped across his shoulders was the white furry cape that he had worn at the ceremony that declared him as the new Defender of Metro City. “I have to see what havoc she’s created. I’ll take Minion with me.” Megamind was furious.</p>
<p>“I’m coming with you! I can’t just sit around and do nothing!” Roxanne flew out of bed and stood next to Megamind in her purple lacy nightdress. Her growing belly was prominent underneath the fabric.</p>
<p>“You have to stay here. I need to keep you both safe.” Megamind’s gloved hands gently placed themselves over her belly and caressed it lovingly. “I’ve failed to protect our daughter from Tighten; I won’t fail to protect you or our son from him. Please stay here.” His voice was full of emotions ranging from sadness to absolute love, as he pressed his forehead to Roxanne’s and closed his eyes.</p>
<p>Roxanne sniffled and cupped Megamind’s face securely, making him open his green eyes to meet her blue ones. “I will, I promise.”</p>
<p>“Keep Pinky close to your side. I’ll call Wayne over to keep you company while I’m gone.” Megamind’s hands let go of Roxanne’s bump and he dashed towards the door.</p>
<p>“Megamind!” The blue man turned around and watched as his wife ran up to him and crashed her sweet lips onto his. Megamind could feel the passion within Roxanne as they shared the kiss, and he could taste the saltiness from the tears that had streamed down her face. “I love you.” She breathed as she broke the kiss.</p>
<p>“I love you too.” Megamind gave Roxanne a quick but passionate kiss and then sprinted out of their bedroom as he shouted “Minion! Code: get the car!”</p>
<p>Megamind hopped out of invisible car and slammed the door harshly with frustration. He looked ahead and saw the smashed glass doors of the tower of Ritchie Technologies Ltd. Police were standing by the doors that were taped off from the public, while forensic staff photographed the damage done. Megamind and Minion confidently walked up to the doors and the police lifted the yellow tape up allowing the heroes to access the scene. The smashed front doors had only been a small insight to what had occurred: Megamind and Minion stood still with their mouths gaped open as they saw that the ground floor had been completely ransacked. Marble statues had been smashed, vases that held plants in them were smashed, and soil littered parts of the polished floor. Megamind became even more alarmed as he saw multiple glowing blue cubes all over the ground floor. Police officers began to pour cups of water on the blue cubes, and Megamind and Minion watched as the cubes transformed into guards dressed in black suits and protective vests. All of the men being returned to normal looked extremely fatigued as they lay on the ground almost motionless. Ambulance officers knelt next to men who had been badly injured and tended to them with ice packs, plasters and stitches. One of the men had been so badly injured that he had a broken leg and was being carried out on a stretcher as he winced in pain.</p>
<p>In ways, Megamind was glad that they all were spared from being destroyed by Gaia and Tighten. The same could not be said about the blue brain bot that had been destroyed in the downtown area three days prior. Megamind was furious when he had found out that one of his brain bots had been destroyed by his daughter. After the search for Gaia had finished, Pinky and her brain bot pack had returned to the lair with the dead brain bot. Megamind had tried everything to repair his little creation, but nothing worked. The power of the de-gun had clearly been so strong to the point that repairs to the brain bot were impossible. In an attempt to track where she had been last, Megamind had traced the dead brain bot’s last GPS location. All that Megamind knew from the GPS location was that Gaia had been in the downtown area, and it was likely that she was hiding there somewhere. Since tracking the GPS location, Megamind had sent countless scouts of brain bots to patrol the streets day and night constantly.</p>
<p>“I can’t believe this, Sir!” Minion spoke with surprise.</p>
<p>Megamind shook his head and he scrunched his face up. “Neither can I, Minion. Neither can I.”</p>
<p>“Megamind, Minion, over here.” Chief Reagan’s voice shouted, as he stood by the fountain that was centred on the ground floor.</p>
<p>“Chief Reagan.” Megamind tried to muster as much composure as he could. He didn’t want anyone to see how furious he was as he walked towards the fountain with his friend by his side. “When did this happen?”</p>
<p>“Just over two hours ago.” Chief Reagan stated.</p>
<p>“It seems that your daughter has a knack for being destructive –“ A voice with a southern state accent spoke.</p>
<p>“And teaming up with villains.” Another voice spoke.</p>
<p>“Oh, it’s you two again.” Megamind sniggered at Kevin Blackmore and Jack Eddison as they held a cigarette in their hands with a smug look on their faces as they walked towards everyone confidently.</p>
<p>“Hello to you too, Megamind.” Jack spoke as he put the cigarette to his mouth and inhaled the smoke. “Nice suit you got there.” Jack exhaled the smoke as he noted the white version of Megamind’s suit. Minion’s face scrunched up at the snarky comment directed at his best friend.</p>
<p>Megamind coughed and waved his hand in front of his face as the smoke swirled around him. “Can’t you do that somewhere else?” He spoke with annoyance.</p>
<p>Jack rolled his hazel eyes as he flicked his cigarette on the ground and squished it with his polished leather shoe. Jack sighed before he spoke. “Well, you know how to spoil the fun and crash the party.” Kevin quickly followed Jack’s lead and put out his cigarette with his polished shoe.</p>
<p>“Megamind. Minion.” The blue man and his fantastic fish friend flinched at the voice and turned around to see Ethan Ritchie dressed in a long black coat as he walked towards the pair. With Ethan was his eldest child and only son, Michael who was dressed in a plaid suit without a tie.</p>
<p>Megamind gulped at his father-in-law. “Ugh, Ethan. Hi Mikey.”</p>
<p>“Mr, Mr Ritchie!” Minion stammered nervously.</p>
<p>“Where is my Roxie?” Ethan asked gruffly.</p>
<p>“Is my little sister okay?” Michael asked with concern.</p>
<p>“She is at home, she is safe.” Megamind reassured the aging man and his son.</p>
<p>“Good. Listen, let us get down to business. There are things that you have to see.” Ethan spoke.</p>
<p>All seven men entered the elevator and Michael pushed a button that would take them to the tenth floor. The elevator door pinged open and more police and forensic photographers were on this floor than the ground floor. Megamind noted that there were multiple blue glowing cubes littered all over the floor and some injured guards sat on the floor as they were being attended by ambulance staff. The trail of violence left by Tighten and Gaia was unmistakable.</p>
<p>The men turned a corner and stopped outside of a white door. “We have cameras installed everywhere in this building. There isn’t a crevasse in this place that isn’t under surveillance.” Ethan spoke as he entered the passcode on the door keys. The door beeped open and Ethan ushered everyone inside. “There is no doubt that my footage would’ve caught the pair doing their little heist.” The aging man began to log into the security network on the computers.</p>
<p>“The question is why were they here in the first place?” Michael wondered.</p>
<p>“Looks like we’re about to find out.” Minion commented.</p>
<p>The computer screens made multiple noises before it began playing the coloured footage from the early morning. Ethan stepped back from the computer monitors and stood next to Megamind and Chief Reagan. Kevin Blackmore and Jack Eddison began to pull out a cigarette and lighter simultaneously and were prepared to light up, until Ethan glared at the two top lawyers with daggers as if to say, ‘think about smoking in here, and I’ll kick you out before you can say Jack Robinson’. The pair looked at each other momentarily and then took the cigarettes out of their mouths with disappointment.</p>
<p>The footage of the ground floor began to play, and all seemed peaceful at 4:15am. Megamind was surprised at how clear and defined the footage was. Guards dressed in black suits and protective vests patrolled the ground floor as they walked back and forth. Music began to play which caught the attention of the guards by the glass doors and they looked outside to see where it was coming from. The catchy beat of Michael Jackson’s <em>‘Smooth Criminal’</em> began to play, and the glass doors shattered into hundreds of tiny pieces and the guards by the door were blown off their feet. The superhuman Tighten whizzed into the building and began to fight the guards with ease. He was dressed in a red t-shirt and black jeans and merely looked like a petty criminal; it was a far cry from his original super suit. In one of his large hands was a long bag. Megamind’s brilliant green eyes widened as he saw a smaller figure enter the building skipping and singing to the song happily with a small gun in their hand. “Gaia.” Megamind breathed. His eyes then concentrated on her more. “Is she … no.” The blue genius trailed off.</p>
<p>Everyone focused on Gaia and saw that her short brunette hair was loose, she wore her pink converse shoes and had black tights on, and she had her schoolbag on her back. What caught Megamind’s attention was that she was wearing a flowing dress that was a deep red colour that had black fabric lining the edges of her dress. To Megamind this was symbolising something he had feared; this symbolised that Gaia was on Tighten’s side. Everything from her clothing, her association with the supervillain, to her ‘presentation’ and choice of music for this heist screamed at Megamind that she was now a villain; he had lost his innocent daughter.</p>
<p>On the footage, Gaia started to casually dance on the ground floor as she shot the guards who tried to grab her. The moment she shot the guards, they all turned into small glowing blue cubes. Tighten and Gaia continued to move through the ground floor and Tighten was smashing guards against marble statues and potted plants knocking them out in the process. Gaia continued to sing and dance to <em>‘Smooth Criminal’</em> as she made her way through her grandfather’s business building with Tighten. Tighten and Gaia began to climb the stairs and were met with more guards, and the pair easily got past all of them through means of dehydration and superhuman punches.</p>
<p>Minutes of footage had passed, and the villainous pair had made it to the floor that housed a variety of technology that Ethan Ritchie’s business created. The way into the room that contained the technology was bolted shut by a massive vault and was guarded by at least ten brawny looking guards who had their guns pointing at the duo.</p>
<p><em>“Stop!”</em> One guard shouted.</p>
<p><em>“Hands in the air, Tighten. NOW!”</em> Another shouted.</p>
<p><em>“Give us the girl!”</em> Another man shouted.</p>
<p>Gaia and Tighten looked at each other briefly and smiled wickedly. Gaia continued to dance and was shuffling on the spot to her ‘presentation’ song. In a flash, Tighten whizzed across the room and began to fight six of the guards. The remaining four guards reached to grab Gaia, and Megamind saw her commit arguably the most despicable thing he had seen her do so far.</p>
<p><em>“You’ve been hit by …”</em> Gaia sang as she shot two of the guards in time with the beat of the song and watched as they turned into small glowing blue cubes. <em>“You’ve been hit by …”</em> She shot another guard in time with the beat. <em>“A smooth criminal.”</em> She then shot the last guard with ease and watched as the man transformed into a blue cube.</p>
<p>“You gotta admit that she makes bad look pretty good.” Jack Eddison commented with a smirk.</p>
<p>Megamind’s face dropped and he looked at the lawyer absolutely perplexed. “Whose side are you on!?”</p>
<p>“I apologize about Jack.” Kevin spoke with a serious tone in his southern accent. “The boss has been hard on us lately.” He explained. Megamind hummed at the men in a bored manner and turned his giant blue head back to the footage that continued.</p>
<p><em>"Gaia, the door.”</em> Tighten spoke as he knocked out the last guard with a single punch. The little girl nodded her head and switched the setting from ‘dehydrate’ to ‘destroy’. She confidently pulled the trigger and a blue light and sparks of electricity surrounded the large vault. Gaia then shielded her brilliant green eyes as the vault blasted open with a loud boom to reveal a room full of a vast range of different types of technology. The duo ran through the open vault and scanned the room for what they were looking for. Gaia and Tighten stopped at a long desk and analysed it for what they needed.</p>
<p><em>“Here catch!”</em> Gaia yelled as she confidently threw large objects such as cogs, welding equipment and circuit boards to Tighten, who then stuffed them into his bag. Gaia then grabbed large wires and other basic tools and stuffed them into her schoolbag.</p>
<p><em>“Where are they!?”</em> More guards shouted in the distance.</p>
<p><em>“Come on, kid, we better move fast!” </em>Tighten said as he zipped up his bag securely.</p>
<p>Gaia looked around the room quickly as she put her schoolbag on her back. <em>“Okay, I think I’ve got everything we need!”</em></p>
<p><em>“Let’s get moving!”</em> Tighten ushered her out of the vault.</p>
<p>The pair were then confronted by multiple guards that were dressed in protective vests and had machine guns point at them. <em>“Kill him!” </em>A guard yelled. <em>“Fire!”</em></p>
<p><em>“Look out!” </em>The red-haired man jumped in front of Gaia as quick as lightening and shielded her with his entire body with his back facing the guards as they began to shoot at the pair. Gaia screamed in an extremely high pitch as multiple gunshots fired at her and Tighten. Megamind swore that Gaia’s screams were deafening and would have shattered a wine glass. Gaia continued to scream as the guns kept on firing, and Tighten hugged her tight to his muscular chest to protect her. The gunshots ceased and all the guards gasped as they saw the superhuman unharmed as he clutched onto little Gaia Ritchie. Tighten let go of the blue girl and turned around and smirked evilly at the guards who now looked terrified.</p>
<p><em>“Quick! Reload!”</em> One of the guards commanded. Tighten took this opportunity and flew towards the guards and began to fight them, throwing hard punches their way. <em>“Oh god!”</em> The same guard yelled with fear as Tighten charged at him. Gaia quickly changed the de-gun setting and started to dehydrate the guards that tried to hit Tighten.</p>
<p>Once the guards had been taken out, Tighten hovered over to Gaia gracefully and knelt down to her. <em>“Are you okay, Gaia?”</em> Tighten cupped her blue cheeks with his large hands as she looked into his brown eyes scared.</p>
<p>Megamind’s mouth began to scrunch up in anger, and everyone in the room with him noticed the change in the Defender of Metro City. He could feel his blood begin to boil and his cheeks turn purple as he watched Tighten touch his daughter in a caring manner. <em>‘He has no right to touch her!’</em> He thought to himself.</p>
<p><em>“I-I’m okay.”</em> Gaia stammered weakly.</p>
<p><em>“Come on, let’s get out of here while we still can!”</em> Tighten quickly grabbed onto Gaia’s hand and dragged her away from the vault as if she were a ragdoll.</p>
<p>The duo made their way back down to the ground floor and were met with sirens blasting and red and blue lights flashing. Twenty armed police entered the building and pointed their guns at Tighten and Gaia. <em>“Get on the ground now!”</em> A police officer shouted.</p>
<p><em>“Let the child go, Tighten!”</em> A second officer shouted.</p>
<p>Tighten smirked wickedly at the armed police. <em>“No.”</em></p>
<p>
  <em>“I said let her go!”</em>
</p>
<p><em>“What do we do?”</em> Gaia asked Tighten with worry as she hid behind the red-haired man.</p>
<p>Tighten turned his head and looked at Gaia with a smirk. <em>“You trust me?”</em> He asked calmly. Gaia quickly nodded her head as she kept her eyes on the armed police. <em>“Good!”</em></p>
<p><em>“Kill Tighten! Do not harm the child!”</em> The police opened fire as the supervillain flew across the ground floor to the police officers and began to fight them. Gaia immediately dropped to the ground and covered her giant blue head with her hands and lay in the foetal position as she screamed. Megamind watched in horror as Tighten badly injured officers with harsh punches and kicks, and the armed officers screamed in pain and terror.</p>
<p>Minutes of fighting had passed and Tighten had easily defeated all of the armed police officers and guards. Those that weren’t unconscious groaned in absolute pain and mumbled things that were incoherent. Gaia lifted her head and saw Tighten completely unharmed as he walked towards her with a swagger in his step. She stood up and brushed down her deep red dress of any dirt and debris.</p>
<p><em>“We have to leave before Megamind shows up. Jump onto my back, kid, and hang on tight!”</em> The little girl immediately did as she was told and her hands tightly clutched onto Tighten’s shoulders, while her legs wrapped around his waist. Tighten smirked at the police that lay on the ground who kept their eyes on him with fear. He then casually saluted them with two fingers. <em>“Give my regards to Megamind. Tell him that his kid dances to my tune now.” </em>Tighten hovered in mid-air before he quickly whizzed through the air and exited the building through the smashed glass doors with Gaia clutching onto him for dear life. As they left, <em>‘Smooth Criminal’</em> by Michael Jackson ceased playing, leaving the building in a deadly silence.</p>
<p>Ethan Ritchie stopped the tape and looked to the blue hero and the other men who stood in the surveillance room. “That’s it. That’s what happened this morning.” He said with a sad tone.</p>
<p>“I can’t believe this.” Megamind murmured as he shook his head trying to deny everything that he had seen. “How could she do this?”</p>
<p>“He said that Gaia dances to his tune. What does that mean?” Ethan wondered.</p>
<p>“Has she been brainwashed?” Michael wondered.</p>
<p>“What it means is that Gaia has made her choice.” Chief Reagan spoke clearly.</p>
<p>Kevin Blackmore inhaled before he spoke. “Well, Jack and I are going to have a field day with this case when it reaches the courts.” Megamind’s brows furrowed at the black-haired lawyer.</p>
<p>“But why did they steal all of that stuff?”</p>
<p>“That is a very good question, Minion –“ Michael answered with just as much confusion.</p>
<p>“Whatever their reason was for breaking in here, it spells disaster.” Megamind commented as he crossed his arms defensively. “Think of the worst thing that could possibly be created by those two and multiply it by six! Gaia isn’t just a smart little girl; she has a knack for tinkering with mechanical objects.”</p>
<p>Kevin and Jack blinked their eyes slowly as they looked at each other and then focused their attentions back on the five men in a mocking manner. “Ah, she takes after her father then.” Jack smirked at Megamind casually.</p>
<p>“Spades!” Kevin lectured his work partner. Minion and Chief Reagan’s brows furrowed at the strange nickname for Jack, and Megamind glared daggers at two of the best lawyers in Metro City.</p>
<p>Chief Reagan cleared his throat as he looked at everyone with serious eyes and tried to kill the tension between Megamind and the two lawyers. “Mr Blackmore, Mr Eddison.” He began. “Please step out for a moment.” The two lawyers nodded their heads and opened the surveillance doors. Before they closed the door, they each pulled out a cigarette, placed them into their mouths and lit them. Chief Reagan spoke as the door shut. “Gentlemen, I’m sorry for what I’m about to say.” Megamind let out a deep and sad sigh as he pinched the bridge of his nose. Minion’s brown eyes widened with fear while Ethan and Michael stared at each other briefly before turning their attentions back to Reagan. Now this time is was Chief Reagan who sighed sadly. “As the Chief of Police, it is my duty to protect the citizens of Metro City from anyone who threatens to harm them. Gaia has demonstrated that she will not hesitate to harm a member of the public. She may be six years old, but she knows the difference between right and wrong.”</p>
<p>“Chief Reagan please –“ Michael pleaded.</p>
<p>Ethan looked at Megamind sadly as the blue man held out a white gloved hand at the Chief of Police. “Tighten is using her!” Megamind said.</p>
<p>“As the Defender of Metro City, you understand what I mean, Megamind. I have no choice but to declare your daughter as a fugitive and accomplice of Tighten.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em>To be continued...</em>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>If you're liking this story, be sure to give it a kudos and comment your thoughts on this story, I'd love to hear what you guys think :) <br/>Take care and I'll be back soon :)</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0017"><h2>17. Memories of Innocence</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Hi everyone and welcome back!</p>
<p>Sorry that I haven't been able to update this story as quick as what I usually do. Moving house takes a lot of energy out of you, and I genuinely had a bit of a struggle to write this chapter, but I got there in the end and that's the main thing :P</p>
<p>This story has reached over 300 hits (yay!) I didn't even think that I'd reach past 100 so this is pretty awesome! Thank you to all of you who have been reading and commenting on this story :)<br/>Anyway, this one is a bit of a sweet yet sad chapter. We are gonna need a little bit of sweetness in this story before things begin to hype up a few levels!</p>
<p>Enjoy :) xxx</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <strong>Chapter 17 – Memories of Innocence</strong>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>The sounds of a soft acoustic guitar echoed throughout Megamind and Roxanne’s living room as the man once known as Metro Man strummed his large fingers on the coarse strings. He was leaning back on a black leather couch with his feet propped up casually. <em>“Blackbird singing in the dead of night…” </em>He began to sing the first few lyrics of <em>‘Blackbird’</em> by the Beatles. <em>“…Take these broken wings and learn to fly, all your life, you were only waiting for this moment to arise.”</em> He continued to play the chords of the song before he began singing again<em>. “Blackbird singing in the dead of night, take these sunken eyes and learn to see, all your life, you were only waiting for this moment to be free.”</em></p>
<p>Despite being told previously by Megamind and Roxanne that he was a horrible singer, granted that he had talent, Wayne Scott had invested his time and enormous amount of wealth, acquired from both his parents and hero days, to singing lessons and becoming a somewhat better singer. He was no way near the greatest singer in the world, but now he could at least hold a tune and sing a melody. There was the very common occasion where he would sing flat or sharp, but he still managed to pull off songs and not completely butcher them in the process. <em>“Blackbird fly, blackbird fly –“</em></p>
<p><em>“Into the light of a dark black night.” </em>A woman’s voice sang in reply with perfect pitch.</p>
<p>Wayne put his hands on the guitar chords making them stop echoing throughout the living room. He whipped his large head around and saw Vida McCleod walking towards him with sadness in her blue eyes. She was dressed in a matching dark blue skirt and jacket with a baby blue blouse, and her straight platinum blonde hair was tied up in her usual high ponytail. “Vida!” Wayne was surprised to see her. He gently put down his guitar and walked over to her. “You’re here early. Why didn’t you call me? I’ve could’ve picked you up from work.” The former superhero cupped his girlfriend’s soft cheeks and gave her a quick peck on her lips.</p>
<p>“It’s fine, I got Jodie Whelan to drop me off.” She said as she held onto Wayne’s large hands.</p>
<p>“Did you have a good day at work?”</p>
<p>“Yeah.” Vida looked around the living room longingly. “Where is she?”</p>
<p>Wayne sighed sadly as he scratched his beard with one hand. “In the fake observatory. She refuses to talk to me and wants to be alone. She’s only got that brain bot with her, the one with one arm.”</p>
<p>“Pinky.” Vida raised an eyebrow at Wayne with a smile.</p>
<p>“Yeah, that one.”</p>
<p>“Do you think that I should go and see her?” Vida wondered with concern.</p>
<p>Wayne shook his head with his eyes closed. “She’s so upset, V. I don’t think that even you could cheer her up.” He stated.</p>
<p>Vida looked at the floor in defeat. “I feel so helpless. I feel like I’ve let her down in so many ways.” She confessed. Wayne remained silent as Vida gazed into his blue eyes as if she were a lost puppy. “Do you think that I should’ve told her about what happened to me in Boston all those years ago? Should I, should I tell her about my scars?” She questioned with a stammer, as she rolled up her long sleeves to reveal her forearms that were covered in jagged silver scars. Wayne gaped his mouth open as if to say something, but no sound projected from his throat. “I’ve been hiding the truth from her for years. She is my best friend and I don’t know how long I can keep this secret from her. Megamind knows, Minion knows, and you know too. It’s not fair that she’s left in the dark. I must tell her, Wayne.” It was as if Vida was talking in codes.</p>
<p>“She already has enough to deal with, Vida. If you told her about your…” Wayne was struggling to find the word as he ran his hands over Vida’s exposed forearms. His large thumbs caressed the jagged silver lines. “<em>Condition</em>, it would be a bombshell for her. I don’t think that she could cope with the news right now.” Vida sighed sadly and looked at the ground. Wayne’s eyes were full of sympathy as he reached for Vida’s jaw and made her look at him. “I think its best if you tell her after all of this is over, my sunshine.” He smiled at her and his blue eyes softened as he gently pulled down her long sleeves.</p>
<p>Vida smiled weakly at her boyfriend as he rubbed a thumb over a rosy cheek. “Everything was so simple for me 18 years ago. Then that storm in Boston happened, and then there was… the Doom Syndicate.” Vida struggled to get the last words out. Her tone then became full of panic and anxiety as her breathing increased. Painful memories for the young school principal were beginning to resurface despite her best efforts to try and suppress them. “They hurt me, Wayne. Hot Flash tortured me, and the Destruction Worker threatened to blow me up! And then there was Lady Doppler!” Vida’s tone continued to increase with anxiety. “And I’ll never forget what Psycho Delic and his goons did to me! What they did to me was evil!”</p>
<p>Sensing her fragile state, Wayne brought Vida into a soft and comforting hug, and he could feel her warm tears begin to wet his white t-shirt. One of his large hands gently held onto her head while the other rested in the middle of her back as he quietly hushed her. He hated seeing his girlfriend like this, and despite all of his awesome powers, he couldn’t take away the painful memories of the Doom Syndicate and the trauma they had caused her. “I know. I know.” Wayne spoke softly as he kissed her platinum blonde hair affectionately. “They will never touch you again. Ever. Megamind will protect you.<em> I</em> will protect you, even if it means that I must expose myself.” Wayne then knelt down and held onto her arms securely as he gazed into her blue eyes with seriousness. “I just want you safe. I don’t know how I’d cope if I’d lose you. Vida McCleod you are everything to me, and I love you more than you could ever imagine.” Vida smiled sadly and she gave Wayne a massive hug.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>XXX</p>
<p> </p>
<p>The most prolific news reporter of Metro City sprawled herself over her husband’s black leather chair in the fake observatory as she watched old video tapes of the days that were filled with happiness and innocence. In the background, the smooth and mellow sounds of Frank Sinatra’s <em>‘It Had to be You’ </em>played on the stereo, while Pinky quietly hovered in mid-air by the monitors that were playing the video tapes as she kept her giant red eye focused on Roxanne. The nosy reporter wasn’t sure if Megamind’s oldest brain bot was looking at her protectively or in a standoffish manner. Even after all these years, Pinky still didn’t quite see eye to eye with Roxanne, and she remained fiercely protective towards her daddy.</p>
<p>On Roxanne’s baby bump was a box of tissues, and in her right hand was a warm mug of hot chocolate. Roxanne had definitely seen better days: her blue eyes were warm and puffy from all of her crying, her cheeks were stained with trails of tears, and her short brunette hair was dishevelled. She was an absolute mess and she felt pathetic. All that she felt she could do was to try and forget about her worries and relive the memories of better days before Tighten came back into her life and flipped her world completely upside down.</p>
<p>Roxanne watched a video tape that dated back to about seven years ago. She watched herself in her white wedding dress walk down the aisle with her father arm in arm. At the end of the aisle was Megamind smiling at her while he tried not to shed a tear. The tape then showed the pair putting on the rings whilst saying their vows, and the moment the celebrant said ‘you may kiss the bride’, the wedding guests cheered as Megamind swooped Roxanne into his arms and kissed her with all the passion and love in his body that he had for her. The tape then showed Megamind and Roxanne’s first dance as husband and wife, and both of them smiled at each other with absolute adoration.</p>
<p>Roxanne grabbed another tissue and dabbed her red cheeks as she watched the tape roll on to her honeymoon. Two months after their wedding, Megamind had taken her to a secluded island where palm trees danced in the warm tropical breeze and the blue water gently crashed against the sandy beach. Roxanne remembered that those two weeks in Tahiti were some of the most magical and romantic days of her life. It was just the two of them and it was paradise.</p>
<p>The video tape showed Megamind’s blue face as he lay in bed and had the camera facing him. <em>“It is day two of our honeymoon, and I am so blessed to be waking up next to the most beautiful woman in the world.”</em> Megamind then pointed the camera at Roxanne who lay under the bedsheets and smiled happily. <em>“Ms Roxanne Ritchie</em>.” Megamind then leaned in and kissed her on the cheek multiple times.</p>
<p>Roxanne laughed hysterically as she playfully slapped his bare shoulder. <em>“Haha stop it, you!”</em> She giggled as Megamind grabbed her whole body and drew her close to him.</p>
<p><em>“Never! You are mine now.”</em> He growled as he continued to kiss her on the cheek and Roxanne laughed loudly. She ceased laughing as Megamind planted his blue lips onto her red ones, and she melted into his embrace with a hum escaping her throat. Megamind’s lips left hers and he stared down the lens of the camera. <em>“Now, if you’ll excuse me, my wife and I have some business to attend to.” </em>Roxanne squealed happily as Megamind drew the covers over the two of them and let a low growl filled with seduction escape his lips.</p>
<p>The tape cut abruptly and another video played. Roxanne saw herself as she leaned on a balcony and watched the sun slowly set on another beautiful Tahiti day. She was in a teal coloured bikini and white sarong as she leaned on the balcony and looked at the sun setting in shades of burnt oranges and reds. Her short brunette hair blew amongst the gentle evening breeze and she smiled as it stroked her cheeks.</p>
<p><em>“Roxanne.”</em> Megamind murmured playfully, as he focused the camera on her. Roxanne turned her head to the camera, and she tipped her black sunglasses down and smirked at her husband who held the camera in his hands. <em>“Ollo, Temptress.”</em> He murmured flirtatiously.</p>
<p><em>“Hello, blue boy.”</em> She replied with the same amount of flirting in her tone. Megamind put the camera down and waltzed over to Roxanne in his tropical orange t-shirt and baggy black jean shorts. He gently yanked her into his body and kissed her with a fiery passion. The tape cut again, and Roxanne had remembered that on their honeymoon Megamind had commented that she looked breath-taking in her teal bikini, but cheekily remarked that she looked even better without it on. The thought of her honeymoon made Roxanne smile as she dabbed one of her red cheeks dry and grabbed another tissue from the box that rested on her growing belly.</p>
<p>Another video clip began to play that had been recorded seven months after their honeymoon in Tahiti. <em>“Smile!”</em> It was Megamind’s voice heard on the camera. He focused the camera on Roxanne and showed her standing sideways as she showed off her large baby bump in a tight-fitting white t-shirt. She smiled as she gently caressed her growing bump with one hand while the other held her bump from underneath. <em>“You are just far too beautiful, Temptress.”</em> Roxanne felt tears beginning to well up in her eyes as she continued to watch the video and saw Megamind run up to her and gently place his bare hands onto her growing belly. <em>“And you grow even more beautiful with our child inside of you.”</em> Megamind planted a long and loving kiss on Roxanne’s belly as if he were trying to kiss his unborn child.</p>
<p><em>“I feel like a whale.”</em> Roxanne groaned.</p>
<p>Megamind gasped at Roxanne and stared at her with his brilliant green eyes. <em>“You could never be a whale, my love.” </em>He kissed her bump again. <em>“You are the most amazing woman in the world, and you will be the most amazing mother to our little blue.”</em> Megamind then pointed an index finger at Roxanne’s bump. <em>“And you.”</em> Megamind began happily. <em>“You will be the most loved little baby in the world, and we can’t wait to meet you. Your mommy loves you.”</em> Megamind placed his blue hands back on Roxanne’s belly and stared at it with a beautiful white smile and wide eyes. <em>“And your daddy loves you more than you’ll ever know.”</em> Megamind then kissed Roxanne’s bump multiple times and made a humming noise as he did.</p>
<p>Roxanne felt tears streaming down her face and she took in a shallow breath to try and calm herself. She then felt a strong kick erupt from her growing bump that made the tissue box fall off her and onto metal floor. The child within Roxanne continued to kick wildly, and Roxanne put her mug of hot chocolate on the ground and ran her hands over the peak of her bump. It was as if her unborn son was aware of how she was feeling and knew that something was wrong. “I know, my boy, I know.” She talked to her bump gently. “I want her back home too.”</p>
<p>The tape then showed Megamind fast asleep on the black leather couch with pillows supporting his giant blue head. He was shirtless and only had black jeans on. Sprawled across his slim chest was baby Gaia in a pink romper as she slept on her tummy with her head turned to the side. She must have only been a few days old when the video had been taken as she was tiny. Megamind’s right hand supported her bottom while his left hand gently rested on her back. Roxanne had remembered that she had recorded this sweet moment knowing that one day she would look back on this.</p>
<p>The next part of the tape began with the sounds of a small baby crying in a loud and grizzly pitch. Again, Roxanne remembered that she had taken this video to look back on in the future and noticed that Gaia was barely two weeks old. Megamind reached into Gaia’s crib and cradled her to his chest, he then began to rock back and forth to try and sooth her. <em>“Hey, hey.”</em> Megamind spoke softly on the tape. <em>“What’s all this racket for? Hmm?”</em> Gaia continued to cry loudly, and Megamind continued to sooth her with his voice and softly kissed her large head that had tufts of brunette hair. <em>“It’s okay, Blue. Daddy’s got you now. Daddy loves you so much.”</em> He soothed her as he now gently patted her back. Megamind continued to talk to baby Gaia, and Roxanne remembered how much of a good father he was to their little girl. <em>'He is the best father in the world'</em> Roxanne thought to herself. The baby girl was no longer crying and was now beginning to make cooing noises as she seemed to listen to Megamind’s voice as he gently rocked her in his arms. <em>“You are my little miracle and I am so lucky to be your father. I will always look out for you, and so will your mother, and Uncle Minion, and Uncle Wayne and Aunty Vida. And no matter whatever you do in life, we will never stop loving you.” </em>Baby Gaia’s little movements were beginning to slow down, and her cooing noises began to decrease. Megamind gently kissed Gaia’s head again as he spoke to her.<em> “You are such a special little girl and I know that one day that you will do great things.”</em> Megamind on the video tape continued to rock baby Gaia, and the tape showed that she had fallen asleep in his arms as her head rested over his heart and her limbs went floppy. Megamind continued to rock Gaia in his arms and kissed her head every so often.</p>
<p>“Roxanne?” A familiar voice called out to the nosy reporter and brought her back to reality.</p>
<p>“Bowg!” Pinky’s red eye focused on where the voice had come from. Roxanne almost jumped out of her skin as she heard her husband’s concerned voice. She inhaled through her runny nose and dabbed the back of her hands underneath her eyes to try and stop the tears rolling down her face.</p>
<p>“Roxanne?” Megamind murmured again. Roxanne stood up from the leather chair and walked towards the opening in the fake observatory and looked out to see where the original observatory once stood as the sun began to descend from the sky that afternoon. She felt a little ashamed to face the man she loved in that moment. In the corner of her eye she could see Megamind approach the monitors in his white suit and watch the video tapes. He sighed loudly as he closed his brilliant green eyes. Roxanne Ritchie tried to keep her breathing as calm as she could, but every time she exhaled her breath was shaky. She then felt a pair of gloved hands snake around her waist and rest on her growing belly. Megamind’s body spooned Roxanne’s as he kissed the side of her neck lovingly.</p>
<p>Megamind’s touches and tenderness made Roxanne melt and she turned around and flung her arms around him, as if clutching onto him for dear life. She could smell his Jean Paul Gaultier perfume wafting around her nose. “I miss her so much, Meg!” Roxanne lost all control and cried into Megamind’s slim shoulder.</p>
<p>“I know, honey. I miss her too.” Megamind gently lifted her chin and their eyes locked on one another. He then cupped her pale face and let his thumbs drift over her cheeks to wipe away her tears.</p>
<p>“What did the police show you? What did Gaia and Tighten do?”</p>
<p>Megamind sighed as he placed his hands on her shoulders. He then looked at his oldest brain bot. “Leave us.” Pinky immediately listened to her daddy’s command and hovered out of the fake observatory.</p>
<p>Megamind’s ears heard the soft playing of <em>‘It Had to be You’</em> and he gently dragged Roxanne into the middle of the fake observatory. He placed a hand around her waist and ushered her to place one hand on his shoulder and the other in his gloved hand. The pair slowly began to dance around the fake observatory and Roxanne rested her head on Megamind’s shoulder. Megamind closed his eyes as he inhaled the sweet scent of Roxanne’s short brunette hair. Roxanne kept her blue eyes open and watched a video tape of baby Gaia in a yellow dress with a white bucket hat on as she sat on a picnic blanket in Metro City Park and suckled on her blue binky, while Megamind was on his tummy smiling at her and making popping noises as he gently tapped a blue index finger on her small nose.</p>
<p>“I just want our daughter home, Meg.” Roxanne began. “I want to hold her again and tuck her into bed and kiss her goodnight. I want to tell her how much I love her and tell her that she will always be our little girl.”</p>
<p>“I know you do.” Megamind breathed by her ear. “I won’t let Tighten corrupt her even more. I promise you that I will get Little Blue back, and I have a plan to bring her home.”</p>
<p>Roxanne lifted her head. “You do? What are you going to do?”</p>
<p>“Tighten is keeping Gaia close to him wherever he goes. My gut tells me that he will want his suit back shortly, and he will target the Megamind Museum next. If he plans to attack the museum soon, she will be with him.” Megamind stared into Roxanne’s eyes seriously. “They caught us off guard when they broke into your father’s business this morning, but they will not catch us off guard next time. Next time, I will be ready for them.”</p>
<p>Roxanne Ritchie could only hope that Megamind was right, for she longed to hold her daughter once more. She closed her eyes and silently prayed that Gaia would return home unharmed and that Tighten would be defeated once more.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em>To be continued...</em>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Hmm that one was pretty emotional for everyone.</p>
<p>If you're liking this story, be sure to give it a kudos and comment your thoughts on this story. I'd love to hear from you guys and recieve some great feedback.</p>
<p>Take care and I will be back soon :) xxx</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0018"><h2>18. Objects of Mayhem</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Hello and welcome back!<br/>Here is the next chapter of the story. Enjoy :) xxx</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <strong>Chapter 18 – Objects of Mayhem</strong>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Two days had passed by since the heist had occurred at Ritchie Technologies Ltd. The city had been informed of the heist, and news reports flooded the television networks stating that Tighten was responsible and Megamind’s daughter was his accomplice. Whether she was willing to be on Tighten’s side or not remained a bit of a mystery to the media and the citizens of Metro City. Of course, the media had speculated that Tighten had brainwashed the little girl, and to be fair, they were not entirely wrong. Tighten had warned Gaia not to turn on the TV and watch the news reports as they would scare her, and that the media made out that he was the villain and Megamind was the hero. Instead, he encouraged her to distract herself and try and fix her holo-watch that had been damaged in the rainstorm a few days ago.</p>
<p>For the last hour, Gaia Andromeda Ritchie sat at the dining table in the small apartment as she took apart her broken watch and attempted to repair it. She had carefully taken her watch apart and found that the wires that activated the disguise generator had been severely damaged from the rainstorm. With all the technology that her and Tighten had taken, Gaia had used some of the small wires and fixed them into her watch.</p>
<p>Young Gaia stood in front of a mirror and stared at herself. She looked at her reflection and saw herself wearing a flowery pink dress and pink converse shoes, and her short brunette hair was hanging loose. “Now this should work.” Gaia murmured to herself. She wrapped the watch around her left wrist and twisted the face of the watch making it click. A blue light omitted around the little girl, and Gaia watched herself transform into Sadie Howard. Gaia gasped with excitement and a smile spread across her face. “Yes, I fixed it! Woo!” She jumped up and down on the spot.</p>
<p>The front door opened loudly, and Gaia saw Tighten enter the apartment with poise. “Ah, you managed to fix your watch.” He smiled at her.</p>
<p>Gaia twisted the watch again and reverted to her normal self. “It’s not the best repair that I’ve done, but at least my disguise generator works again. AHH!” A small spark flew from the watch, and the watch turned the scan mode on and began to scan Gaia and record her voice. “Ah no, stop it!” She banged it with her fist which made the watch stop what it was doing. “I guess I still need to tweak it a little bit.” Gaia laughed nervously at Tighten.</p>
<p>“At least you got it working again, and just in time too.”</p>
<p>“Why? Where are we going?” Gaia asked him.</p>
<p>Tighten picked up the bags that contained all of the technology they had stolen two days ago and held them in his hands as if they weighed nothing. “We’ve got work to do; I’ll show you why we have all of this stuff.” Gaia nodded her head, grabbed the de-gun from the dining table, put it in the pocket of her dress and then switched on her disguise and followed Tighten out of the apartment.</p>
<p>“Eww! The sewers!?” Gaia’s nose scrunched up with disgust, as Tighten lifted the cover off a foul-smelling manhole in a secluded street and tossed it to the side. “Do we have to go down there?”</p>
<p>Tighten sighed at Gaia. “I’m afraid so. It’s the only way to get to the machine.” He then jumped down the hole in the ground, and Gaia heard the echo of Tighten’s feet land on the ground with a thud.</p>
<p>“The machine?” Gaia wondered as she looked down the manhole. It was dark and she could barely make out Tighten’s oval shaped face and wild red hair.</p>
<p>“Yeah.” His voiced echoed from down below. “Now pass me the bags.”</p>
<p>Gaia nodded her head and tossed her schoolbag down the manhole and heard Tighten catch it. She then tried to lift up the other bag but found that it was much heavier than she expected. With a grunt, Gaia pushed the bag towards the hole in the ground and watched it fall into the darkness. With ease, the superhuman caught the heavy bag and put it down on the ground. “Okay, Gaia.” He held his hands up towards the sky. “Jump down and I’ll catch you.”</p>
<p>The little girl sat down on the street and let her little legs dangle in the hole. She shuffled her bottom closer to the edge of the hole and looked back down. “How far down are you?” She wondered.</p>
<p>“Just a few metres. I promise I will catch you.” He stated.</p>
<p>Gaia looked around the street and saw that it was completely deserted. The last thing she wanted was someone seeing her dive into the underground sewers. “Okay.” Her tone was laced with uneasiness. She continued to shuffle her bottom to the edge of the hole and then pushed herself in with her hands. She let out a squeal as she fell into the dark hole, and it felt like she was falling from a great height. Gaia then felt Tighten’s strong hands catch her small waist, and she instinctively grabbed onto his shoulders for support.</p>
<p>“You alright, kid?” Tighten wondered with a smile. Gaia nodded her head in reply with a hum. “Good.” He then put her down, and Gaia twisted her holo-watch, so she was back to her normal self. The little girl then put her schoolbag on her back. Tighten reached into the other bag, grabbed a torch, and switched it on so it illuminated the dark and gloomy sewers of Metro City.</p>
<p>Minutes had passed as Tighten held onto Gaia’s blue hand and guided her through the maze of sewers that lay underneath the entire city. His torch guided the way forward and Gaia saw that the walls of the sewers were covered in moist green algae and droplets of water were dripping from the ceiling. Small streams of dirty water were heard rushing through the sewers accompanied with droplets of water falling onto the ground and the occasional squeak of mice. The ground itself was wet and Gaia felt herself slip a little bit as she walked – she was glad that Tighten had a firm grip on her hand. Gaia covered her nose with her other blue hand as the stench of the sewers invaded her nostrils. The smell had a combination of earthiness to it, as well as something old and rotten, like something had withered and died long ago.</p>
<p>“Here we are.” The pair stood in an opening in the sewers, and Gaia saw old steam vents surrounding an enormous door that had a creepy looking smiley face on the front of it. “Do you think that you could use that gun of yours again?” Gaia smirked and let go of Tighten’s hand. She whipped out the de-gun and engaged the ‘destroy’ setting. She confidently pulled the trigger and watched as the energy of the gun focused on the enormous door, electricity danced around it and the door exploded with a large boom which made Gaia cover her brilliant green eyes. “Good work, Gaia! Let’s go inside.” Tighten gently ushered her through the passageway that had been revealed.</p>
<p>The passageway was completely pitch black, and only the torch that Tighten held in his hand provided the pair with a source of light. Up ahead, Gaia began to see a large open space and her green eyes widened to gaze at the view ahead. “What is this place?”</p>
<p>“This is where the machine is kept.” Tighten then found the switchboards and the large open space lit up.</p>
<p>“Whoa! This place is so… <em>colourful!</em> I never thought that the sewers could look like this!” Gaia gaped in amazement as she looked at her surroundings as it contrasted the rest of the sewers. The floor was covered in colourful tiles and the walls were covered in steam vents and large probe lights that changed different colours every so often. “Is that the machine?” Gaia asked, as her eyes stared at a gigantic metal object that must’ve been nearly twenty feet tall. The machine was in the shape of an old stereo and was decorated with two large purple and white swirling pattens.</p>
<p>“It is.” Tighten smirked, as he walked towards the machine and placed his bag by it.</p>
<p>Gaia walked up to Tighten whilst she kept her eyes on the machine. “It looks like a giant stereo!” Gaia commented with wonder. “Does it play music?”</p>
<p>Tighten laughed at Gaia heartily. “You make me laugh, kid. No. This is the machine that will help us bring Megamind to justice and free the citizens of Metro City. This machine will reverse the effects of the brainwashing that Megamind placed on everyone, including my Roxie.” Tighten looked to the side sadly as he thought about the one and only Roxanne Ritchie. “Once the machine is activated, the people of Metro City will find out who the villain really is. You finally know the truth, Gaia, and now it’s time that the rest of the city know too. But there is one problem: the machine is broken, Megamind damaged it all those years ago.”</p>
<p>“So, we need to fix it!”</p>
<p>“Exactly, and that’s where you come in!” Tighten said. “If you can tinker with your watch, you can definitely fix this machine.”</p>
<p>Gaia furrowed her brows and she walked up to the machine and touched its cold metal surface. “This thing is massive though; I’ve never worked on something this huge! I don’t know if I can do it.” She said honestly.</p>
<p>Tighten knelt next to her and made her look into his brown eyes. “I know you can, you’re a smart little kid, Gaia.” He smiled at her and cupped her blue cheek affectionately. “You’re my friend and I trust you.”</p>
<p>Gaia mirrored his smile. “You do?”</p>
<p>“Yeah, I do.” He kept on smiling at her.</p>
<p>In that moment, Gaia had never felt so appreciated in her life. This superhuman with god-like powers was putting his faith in her, a six-year-old girl gifted with tinkering anything mechanical and possessing an incredible intellect. In that moment, she knew that she could not let her new best friend down. Gaia exhaled happily with a smile. “Okay, I can do this!”</p>
<p>Tighten stood up and spoke with excitement in his voice. “Ha, that’s the spirit! I knew I could count on you.” He then clapped his hands together. “So, where do we start?”</p>
<p>Gaia then walked around the back of the giant machine and saw the exposed complex technology. She put her fingers on her blue chin and analysed it carefully. “Hmm, from what I can see, the wires have been completely fried and so have the circuit boards. But I won’t really know how much damage there is until I start taking it apart.”</p>
<p>“But you can fix it, right?”</p>
<p>Gaia looked back at Tighten with a smile. “We have the tools and technology to do it. It may take me a while, but I’m pretty sure I’ll have this machine fixed in no time!”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em>Two days later:</em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Gaia Ritchie sat with her legs crossed on the cold tiled floor in the sewers where the gigantic machine was hidden underground. The little girl was on her own as she took a small break from her repairs and ate her lunch. Over the last few days, Gaia had worked hard to make large repairs to the machine, and she was sure that she was almost finished. Tighten had been kind enough to help Gaia reach up to higher places on the machine and pass her the relevant tools and equipment she needed to make the repairs. He had even commented at how good she was with catching the equipment as he tossed objects up to her from the ground. Gaia had told him that she was on the junior netball team for her school and played in the goal attack position. It was clear that Tighten was impressed by this little genius as he hummed in surprise at her physical skills.</p>
<p>Tighten had left the colourful area to take, what he called an ‘important phone call’. Gaia noticed that he had been taking ‘important phone calls’ quite regularly in the daytime, and she found it a little strange with this sudden change of behaviour. Who was he talking to? And why were the phone calls important? Once she had finished her lunch, she looked at her watch and saw that the time was 1pm. <em>‘Where has he gone?’</em> The little girl though to herself. Tighten had been gone for nearly an hour to take his phone call, and Gaia was beginning to get a little concerned about him. <em>‘He should be okay. After all, he has all of those awesome powers. He’s probably still talking to someone.’ </em>She reasoned with herself.</p>
<p>Gaia shook her head of her thoughts and looked at her de-gun that lay on the floor nearby. She looked at the advanced weaponry curiously and reached over to pick it up. “What else does this thing do?” She wondered out loud. Despite having the de-gun in her possession for the last several days, Gaia never really had the opportunity to look at the other settings of the de-gun or try them out. She only had time to use the ‘dehydrate’ and ‘destroy’ settings. Gaia felt like there was no time like the present to explore this peculiar gun. Her little blue fingers twisted the settings around slowly and noted what else this special gun had to offer. The other settings that Gaia noted were ‘decompress’, ‘debilitate’, ‘demoralise’, and ‘deregulate’.</p>
<p>Gaia scrunched up her nose and her brilliant green eyes focused on a setting that she could not quite pronounce. <em>“Decou-page?”</em> She said incorrectly, as she engaged the setting on the gun. “What does that mean?” Curiosity flooded Gaia’s body, and the little girl pointed the gun at a set of steam vents. She pulled the trigger with some hesitancy but was happy to find that the de-gun setting was a rather pleasant one. A pink light surrounded the steam vents and beautiful coloured paper cut outs decorated the dark and gloomy looking steam vents. “Oh, decoupage!” Gaia said correctly, as she realised what the setting did. “That’s cool, but why would Daddy have this on his de-gun?” She wondered with confusion in her tone. Gaia shrugged her shoulders and shook her head as if to say, ‘I don’t know’.</p>
<p>She then twisted the de-gun’s settings again and saw the last setting that she hadn’t explored yet. Her face scrunched up with confusion again. “Detoxify?” She stared at the setting. “What does this one do?” She wondered out loud again. In the corner of her eye, Gaia saw a single barrel with a sticker on the front of it that read as ‘corrosive’, and on the side of a barrel was a thick green liquid that looked poisonous. She aimed the gun at the barrel and pulled the trigger with confidence. She watched as a white light omitted from the gun and directed its energy on the barrel. Gaia let go of the trigger and saw that the thick green liquid turned into a runny and clear fluid. She ran over to the barrel and peaked her head into it, and saw that the whole barrel was full of clear neutral fluid, and Gaia was confident that the gun had neutralised the toxic substance and turned it into water. “That is so cool!” She smiled widely and then looked at the de-gun with admiration. “I wonder if it works on people too. Maybe it can help me in the future!” She exclaimed with excitement.</p>
<p>“Gaia?” Tighten called out as he returned to the colourful area. Gaia almost jumped out of her skin and put her de-gun on the ground and ran over to the giant machine.</p>
<p>“I’m over here, Hal!” She said.</p>
<p>“How many times do I have to tell you, Gaia?” Tighten spoke angrily as he lifted his arms up. “It’s Tighten, not Hal!” Gaia looked at Tighten vulnerably with her brilliant green eyes and she seemed to retreat into herself. Tighten seemed to pick up on her behaviour and he mentally kicked himself for raising his voice at her. “I’m sorry, kid. But you know that I’m not Hal anymore now that I have my powers back.”</p>
<p>“It’s okay, I forgot that you don’t like being called that anymore.”</p>
<p>Tighten sighed and he closed his eyes. He then walked over to the little girl and put a large hand on her shoulder gently. “How are the repairs coming along?”</p>
<p>Gaia’s eyes lit up with excitement. “Oh! I think I’m almost done. I just need to replace the circuit board at the top.” She pointed her index finger at the top of the machine. “Can you get me up there?”</p>
<p>“Sure!” Tighten immediately grabbed onto her and flew her up to the top of the machine, and the pair stood on top of it. On the top of the machine was an exposed area of wires and an empty space where a circuit board would be placed. Lying next to the exposed area was a new circuit board that Tighten and Gaia had stolen from her grandfather’s business.</p>
<p>Gaia began working on the area, and she put on a protective face shield as she began to install the circuit board and connect the wires together. “Can you pass me that machine?” Gaia pointed a finger at a welding machine and Tighten quickly passed it to her. She flicked the face shield down and began to connect the wires and circuit board together. Sparks flew everywhere as Gaia began to install the circuit board and wired it correctly.</p>
<p>Half an hour had passed, and Gaia blew away the smoke that was produced from the welding. She then put the cover back on the machine and began to screw it on securely. “I’ve done it!” Gaia looked down at the ground and saw Tighten casually leaning against the machine.</p>
<p>Tighten stood up straight and his face lit up with happiness. “Oh, good girl! Pass me the stuff down.” He held out his hands to catch the equipment Gaia had used. Gaia lifted the heavy equipment and threw it all down, as she generated a strong throw from her chest like she was playing netball. <em>‘There is a perk to being awesome at netball.’</em> Gaia internally thought. Once all of the stuff was on the ground, Tighten flew up, picked up Gaia and held her in his arms as he returned her the ground.</p>
<p>Gaia put her hands on her hips and gazed at the machine with a sense of accomplishment. “Wow, I never thought that I could fix that thing!”</p>
<p>“I’m proud of you, kid. You’re a little genius.” Tighten complimented her with a smirk. “I knew we’d make a great team.”</p>
<p>Gaia grinned at Tighten and she giggled nervously. “Thanks.” She then looked back at the machine. “Now we just have to turn it on, but I noticed that there isn’t an ‘on’ button.”</p>
<p>“I know.”</p>
<p>The little girl looked puzzled at the red-haired superhuman. “Then what’s the point of this machine if you can’t turn it on?”</p>
<p>“Oh, it does turn on, we just need a little bit of help.” Tighten stated. “This is a special machine, and it requires someone <em>special</em> to turn it on.”</p>
<p>“Someone special? Who’s going to help us?”</p>
<p>Tighten put his hand on Gaia’s shoulder and looked at her with confident brown eyes. “You’ll find out later. Anyway, let’s get back to apartment, you must be pretty tired after all that work.”</p>
<p>The evening had come, and the sun had fallen from the sky and allowed for a full moon to rise. Gaia and Tighten sat at the dining table in the small apartment and ate slices of pizza quietly. Gaia suddenly felt herself getting very tired as she ate. She looked at the time and saw that it was nearly 8:30pm – her usual bedtime. Gaia excused herself from the dining table and thanked Tighten for the pizza. She dressed herself in her red pyjamas and jumped into the single bed.</p>
<p>Tighten walked over to her and tucked the bedsheets around her body snugly. “Are you warm and comfortable?” He asked with care in his tone as he sat on the bed next to her. Gaia nodded her head quickly with a hum. “Okay.” Tighten placed a large hand on her cheek and looked at her with soft brown eyes. “You’ve done so well today. You truly are the best friend that a hero could ask for.”</p>
<p>He then stood up and went to walk away but was stopped when he felt a small hand grab onto his shirt. “Wait.”</p>
<p>“What is it?” Tighten asked her softly.</p>
<p>“Um, can you play my bedtime song to help me sleep?” She asked sheepishly. “My mommy used to play the song for me.”</p>
<p>“Sure thing.” Tighten sweetly smiled at the child and walked over to the CD player. He pushed the play button and Minnie Riperton’s <em>‘Lovin’ You’</em> began to softly play. Gaia smiled happily and said goodnight to Tighten, as she closed her eyes and turned onto her side. Tighten hummed with content and stroked her brunette hair. “Goodnight, Gaia. Sweet dreams.”</p>
<p>As Gaia quickly drifted into a peaceful slumber, Tighten quietly tip-toed to the dining table and picked up his mobile phone. He looked through his contacts and pressed the call key. He waited for a few moments as the phone rang in his ear.</p>
<p><em>“Hello?”</em> A funky sounding voice answered on the other end of the line.</p>
<p>“Hey boys, it’s me.”</p>
<p>
  <em>“What news you got for us?”</em>
</p>
<p>Tighten smirked evilly as he spoke to the other person. “She’s fixed the machine. Get ready to party.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em>To be continued...</em>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Oh no! Who is Tighten in cahoots with? And who is the person able to turn the machine on? Stay tuned to find out what happens next.</p>
<p>If you're liking this story, give it a kudos and a comment, I'd love to hear your thoughts and some awesome feedback. Maybe even bookmark it to keep up to date and re-read it :)</p>
<p>Take care and I will be back in a few days xxx</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0019"><h2>19. The Megamind Museum</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Hello and welcome back!<br/>Here is the next action-packed chapter. <br/>I'll warn you that there is a bit of violence in this one since this is the first major battle. But besides that, I really hope you enjoy this chapter, because I had so much fun writing this one :) xxx</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <strong>Chapter 19 – The Megamind Museum</strong>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Code: is there any sign of them, Sir?”</p>
<p>Megamind stood stone-faced in his Bernard disguise as he waited inside the Megamind Museum. “Code: not yet, Minion.” He spoke into his watch as he kept his gaze focused on the entrance of the museum. Outside of the museum was a line of police cars and armed officers that waited patiently. Everyone there was determined to catch Tighten, but Megamind’s top priority was to get his daughter back and take her home where she belonged.</p>
<p>For the last few nights, Megamind had positioned himself inside the museum disguised as Bernard, Minion was back at the lair ready to command the brain bots, while the Metro City Police hid in parts of the museum and surrounded the outside and guarded it fiercely, waiting for the superhuman and the little blue girl to strike. Of course, nothing had happened over the last few nights, and everyone was beginning to grow tired of guarding the museum. But Megamind remained determined and was certain that Tighten and Gaia would come. Megamind had a strange feeling that tonight would be the night that the pair would strike. Perhaps he was being a little superstitious, but it was as if the full moon up ahead was giving him a sign that they would come tonight.</p>
<p>Megamind glanced at his watch and saw that it was nearly 10 o’clock. Part of Megamind thought that Tighten and Gaia would soon make a grand entrance like they did at Ritchie Technologies Ltd. He was angry and bitterly disappointed with his daughter’s bad behaviour, but the former supervillain hidden deep within him was pleased with her showmanship during the heist – he had to admit that she had a bit of a talent for presentation.</p>
<p>Suddenly a sound was heard echoing through the sky that sounded like an aeroplane flying low. Megamind’s blue ears perked up as he seemed to recognise the sound. The armed police also seemed to perk up and they pointed their guns in all directions. “Steady, boys. Steady.” It was Chief Reagan speaking into a megaphone, as he held out his hand calmly.</p>
<p>“Minion, code: ready the brain bots and wait for my command.” Megamind talked into his watch again.</p>
<p>“Code: brain bots readying.” Minion replied.</p>
<p>The incredibly handsome genius kept his brilliant green eyes focused on the entrance, and carefully watched the movements of the police. The aeroplane-like sound continued to echo throughout the city, and Megamind could feel his heartbeat grow faster. This was it. They were coming. He had one chance to catch his daughter, and one chance to try and stop Tighten from getting what he wanted. He could not fail!</p>
<p>The aeroplane-like noise increased, and everyone’s anxiety was palpable as the noise moved above the museum. Chief Reagan kept his eyes on the sky, and Megamind saw the sixty-year-old man sigh with disappointment. “Stand down, boys.” He spoke through the megaphone. All the armed police began to relax.</p>
<p>Megamind’s brows furrowed with confusion as he brought his watch up to his face. Before he began to guard the museum, Megamind had connected his watch to the police’s walkie-talkie network, so he was able to communicate with them regularly. “Reagan, what’s going on out there?”</p>
<p>Chief Reagan turned around and looked at the disguised Defender of Metro City as he spoke into his walkie-talkie. “False alarm, Megamind. It was just a plane flying overhead, there’s no sign of … AHH!”</p>
<p>Megamind’s brilliant green eyes widened as he watched Tighten fly above and shoot lasers at the police cars, which made them catch fire and explode. Chief Reagan and the armed police jumped out of the way, and they began to shoot in Tighten’s direction. “Get him! Do not let him get near that museum!” Chief Reagan shouted amongst the chaos. Tighten continued to focus his laser beams on the police cars as he graciously flew, and he laughed at the carnage he was causing. Megamind watched as the villain landed on the ground with a thud and strutted towards the steps of the museum.</p>
<p>“Sir!”</p>
<p>“Wait, Minion.” Megamind calmed his fantastic fish friend.</p>
<p>Police officers fired at Tighten, but none of the bullets made an impact. In response, Tighten harshly punched the officers and threw them several metres away from the damaged police cars.</p>
<p>“Stop!” A young police officer shouted, as he fired his gun at Tighten. The bullets simply bounced off the invulnerable being, as he pushed aside a damaged police car. The young police officer continued to shoot at Tighten and demanded him to get on the ground. The muscular red-haired man slowly turned his head to the young officer and smirked at him.</p>
<p>Tighten then grabbed the man by the neck and lifted him off his feet, and the latter held onto Tighten’s large hand as he struggled to breathe. Without warning, Tighten harshly threw the young officer to the side, making him crash into the side of a police car and go unconscious. “Pathetic!” Tighten murmured, as he hovered up the steps of the museum.</p>
<p>Megamind’s brows furrowed as he quickly analysed the situation. Tighten had single-handedly defeated multiple armed policemen, and Chief Reagan was injured on the ground calling for backup. Something about this whole situation felt somewhat strange. There was no presentation music, no grand entrance, and no Gaia. <em>‘Something’s not right. Where is she? Why is she not with him?’</em></p>
<p>“Sir!” Minion sounded stressed.</p>
<p>“Not yet, Minion!” Megamind steadied him.</p>
<p>The disguised Megamind kept himself steadied and tried to regulate his breaths as Tighten slowly approached the doors. The superhuman then smashed the glass doors with a single punch and entered the building. The alarms of the museum screamed in everyone’s ears and Megamind widened his stance as he kept his green eyes on his arch enemy.</p>
<p>“Move out of the way, dweeb, or you’ll end up like your buddies out there.” Tighten threatened. It was clear that Tighten had forgotten that Megamind has this particular disguise, and simply considered him as an ordinary man who was in the way of what he wanted. Megamind stood as still as a statue as he glared daggers at the villain. “Fine. The morgue it is for you!” Megamind gasped as he watched Tighten’s brown eyes glow red. He jumped out of the way as Tighten’s lasers broke a marble statue nearby.</p>
<p>The disguised hero got onto his feet and ran further into the museum and held onto his watch as he did so. He could sense Tighten’s gaze was fixed on him firmly. “Minion! Code: send in the brain bots!” Megamind practically yelled at his watch.</p>
<p>“Bowg, bowg, bowg, bowg!” Minion had clearly wasted no time as a gigantic swarm of blue brain bots descended into the museum and swirled around Tighten as if they were a tornado. Megamind heard the supervillain growl with annoyance as he tried to get away from the swarm that trapped him. The brain bots wouldn’t stop Tighten, but they sure were going to buy Megamind some much needed time for him jump into the giant robot suit, and prepare the police stationed in the villain section of the museum.</p>
<p>Megamind continued to run as fast as his legs could carry him, and he quickly found a line of armed officers that fiercely guarded the entrance of where Tighten’s suit was. “Get ready for him! My brain bots will hold him off for so long!”</p>
<p>“Copy that!” The leading officer said.</p>
<p>Megamind ran towards the elevator and pressed the single button that would take him to the top of the museum. He continued to press the button impatiently and watched with torture as the door slowly closed. As the elevator began to rise to the top, Megamind could see that his brain bots were beginning to struggle containing Tighten. As the elevator doors opened, Megamind saw the tornado of brain bots turn red and they burst from their formation with a boom. Megamind knew that he needed to act fast! He twisted his holo-watch turning back to his normal self in his white suit, and he sprinted towards the giant robot suit that resided by the giant statue of himself.</p>
<p>He climbed into the suit with a grunt and once he was in, he closed the glass window and activated the suit. He quickly glanced to the side and saw the other defuser gun he had created: he was sure that wouldn’t get the original gun back and knew that he needed a plan B. “Okay, Tighten! You’re going down tonight!” Megamind began to laugh in his unique manic way with his arms held out by his sides.</p>
<p>Megamind’s laughing ceased as he began to hear multiple gunshots from below. “Fire at will!” A commanding officer bellowed. Megamind walked in the robot suit and looked through the glass ceiling that gave him a clear view of the armed police fighting Tighten with all their might. Gunshots echoed throughout the museum and the light from the guns looked like fireworks erupting from them. Megamind was mortified to see that Tighten was not only punching and kicking his way through the men, but he was also using his laser beams on them. Megamind closed his eyes sadly as he saw two lifeless men on the ground who had been hit by Tighten’s lasers. Tighten continued to make his violent assault, and the remaining armed officers retreated into the villain section to try and guard the very thing that he was after.</p>
<p>He knew that he had to act now before anyone else got killed! The gunshots were beginning to decrease, and it was clear to Megamind that Tighten was cutting through the armed police like butter. Megamind ran across the top floor of the museum and made a giant leap. The blue hero braced himself as the giant robot suit crashed through the glass ceiling and entered the villain section. He landed on the ground with his back facing Tighten’s super suit. He was on one knee and had one hand bracing himself – the way he posed himself made him look like he was channelling his former rival Metro Man. He gracefully rose onto his feet and glared daggers at his enemy. “Time to put you back in prison where you belong, Tighten!”</p>
<p>Tighten’s brown eyes widened, almost in an excited manner as an evil smirk spread across his oval shaped face. He tossed aside the last remaining police officer with no care at all, and he hovered towards his arch enemy. “Ah, Megamind. I was wondering when you would show yourself! Nice suit by the way, I think it’s fair that I get my suit back, don’t you?”</p>
<p>“Where is my daughter!?” Megamind was in no mood for witty back and forth banter. His pearly white teeth were gritted with anger and his brilliant green eyes narrowed.</p>
<p>Tighten kept on smirking and kept his cool. “She’s fine. In fact, she’s super!” He planted his feet on the ground, and he looked at his fingernails in a condescending manner. “She’s been a very busy girl helping her new hero.” Tighten watched as Megamind’s face twisted with anger. “Oh yes, we are the very best of friends now.”</p>
<p>That was it! Megamind completely lost all self-control and lunged at Tighten ready to punch him. Quick as lightning, the supervillain dodged Megamind’s attack and laughed at him. He then made his first blow, but Megamind was prepared for him and backhanded him out of the villain section. “Haha, yes!” Megamind laughed briefly.</p>
<p>Tighten’s face scrunched up with anger and he made another attempt at Megamind and flew straight at him with and angry growl. Megamind’s face dropped as Tighten collided into the giant robot suit and smashed him into the wall. The pair then rolled each other into the wall and created an absolute mess in the process, as they smashed the glass that contained all the villain outfits.</p>
<p>Tighten managed to get the upper hand and punched Megamind across the room, smashing him into the doorway, and the superhuman chuckled as he watched Megamind’s suit flop on the ground. “Well that was easy.” Tighten murmured, as he began to hover over to his super suit. The red-haired man’s eyes widened in surprise as he felt a giant metallic hand grasp onto his leg and throw him to the opposite side of the room.</p>
<p>Megamind positioned himself in front of Tighten’s super suit and guarded it fiercely as if he were a vicious guard dog. He raised his fists up to his face and stood in a fencer stance. “You want your suit back? You gotta go through the Defender of <em>Metrocity</em> first!”</p>
<p>“Challenge accepted.” Tighten said as he rose to his feet.</p>
<p>Megamind then activated his suit to flight mode and took off through the broken glass ceiling, and he could sense that Tighten was about to fly up after him. He had a plan in mind, and he was praying that it might work! He flew in his suit and landed on the back of the giant marble statue of himself that held the world in one hand. He hid behind it and watched as Tighten flew up and surveyed the area for the blue hero. As Megamind waited for his chance, he saw that in the corner of his eye that there was a KMCP 8 News van near the city hall, and Anastasia Lewis and her camera crew where reporting on the fight.</p>
<p>“Come out, Megamind! I wanna see what that big brain of yours looks like on the pavement!”</p>
<p>Megamind saw an excellent opportunity as Tighten turned his back. He crept up to Tighten and lightly tapped a mechanical finger on his shoulder. Instinctively, Tighten turned around, and Megamind drew a fist and squarely hit the man, sending him flying towards the city hall and landing at the foot of the steps. Megamind began to laugh proudly and the former supervillain inside of him was loving every minute of this fight. “You still fell for the oldest trick the book!” He flew down to meet him. “Now it’s time for you to go down in style!” Megamind prepared himself again as he punched a hand into the other and gestured his giant mechanical hands in a ‘come at me’ fashion.</p>
<p>Tighten recovered himself and flew straight at Megamind as if he were a high-speed missile. The hero and the villain threw multiple punches at each other, and Megamind had managed to bash Tighten into the pavement, practically burying him in the concrete. Tighten was down, and Megamind continued to punch the supervillain violently. Anastasia Lewis and her camera crew gasped as they watched Megamind’s face turn angry as he picked up Tighten by the scruff of his t-shirt and glared daggers at him as he held him high. “Tell me where my daughter is!”</p>
<p>Tighten coughed up dust before he laughed at Megamind. “I gotta admit that she’s grown on me; she is a cute little kid, and she has a good heart just like her mother. I might just keep her for a little while longer!”</p>
<p>Megamind growled fiercely and he went to punch Tighten, but the supervillain reached out a hand and stopped him. Megamind gasped with fear as Tighten held onto his hand and flipped him over so that he landed on his back.</p>
<p>“You’re so predictable, Megamind. You really haven’t changed.” Tighten hovered towards the glass dome that encased the blue hero and lined him up for a punch. Megamind quickly rolled over and narrowly missed Tighten’s fist.</p>
<p>“Predictable? Predictable!? I’ll show you predictable!”</p>
<p>The pair continued to throw punches at each other and wrestled each other outside of the city hall. Large cracks were beginning to appear in the ground and car alarms rang throughout the night air as the pair fought and left a large trail of conflict. Police sirens screeched in the distance, and Megamind breathed a quick sigh of relief as he heard reinforcements coming. Tighten lunged at Megamind, but the blue hero was prepared for him as he grabbed a nearby lamppost. “Batter up!”  He swung the lamppost as if he were playing baseball and sent Tighten flying over the city hall. Megamind placed the lamppost over the shoulder of the giant robot suit and looked at his shot with a satisfied smirk. “And it’s a homerun!”</p>
<p>Megamind became guarded as he heard Tighten whizz back towards him as if he were a boomerang. “Two can play at that game! Strike one!” Tighten dashed towards Megamind and managed to tackle him to the ground before he could hit him with the lamppost again. Tighten wrestled the lamppost out of Megamind’s firm grasp and held it in his own hands. “Strike two!” Tighten swung the lamppost and sent Megamind flying high into the sky. Megamind screamed as he held on tight to the nearest thing in his robot suit. Megamind glanced to the side and saw Tighten follow him up with the lamppost in one hand. “Strike three!” Tighten struck the giant robot suit again and sent Megamind tumbling down towards the museum with a shriek that could rival a damsel in distress.</p>
<p>The giant robot suit crashed into the villain section of the museum, and Megamind felt his head spin. The glass top of the suit was cracked, the controls inside completely ceased and large golden sparks flew from the suit – it was rendered useless.</p>
<p>Megamind felt the ground rumble and saw the large shadow of Tighten approach the robot suit with a fist held high. The superhuman smashed through the glass with ease, and Megamind began to panic as Tighten’s eyes glowed red. His head was still spinning from the impact, but Megamind saw the defuser gun in the corner of his eye. He began to crawl towards it but was stopped by Tighten as he grabbed onto the scruff of his white suit. “Batter out!”</p>
<p>“AHH!” Megamind screamed as Tighten flung him across the room harshly, making the wall behind him crack as his back met with it. Megamind flopped onto his front and felt as if he could hardly breathe.</p>
<p>“Team Tighten: 3. Team Megamind: nil!” Tighten was referencing his three ‘wins’ to this very occasion, and when Gaia had successfully stolen the defuser gun for him, and when her and Tighten successfully broke into Ethan Ritchie’s technology business.</p>
<p>The blue hero’s brilliant green eyes were seeing double vision as he looked up and saw Tighten strut towards his super suit that waited for him. “No!” He whimpered in pain as he tried to get himself back on his feet, but Megamind found that he didn’t have the strength to do it. He weakly crawled towards Tighten, but every movement was excruciating. Pain surged through his body like wildfire and his eyelids grew heavy. Despite being alien he was tougher than most humans, but even he had limits to how much trauma he could suffer.</p>
<p>Tighten grabbed his super suit from its broken containment and in a flash, he donned the reddish-orange and white suit once again. Tighten had truly returned! Megamind had failed! Sirens blasted from outside of the museum and many armed police entered the villain section and aimed their guns at Tighten and opened fire on him. “Another time, Megamind. I have places to go and people to see.” Police continued to shoot at the fully restored supervillain and Tighten took off through the broken glass ceiling and into the dark night.</p>
<p>Megamind’s double vision focused on where Tighten’s suit once resided and he was struggling to keep his eyes open. The last thing Megamind saw was that not only had Tighten’s suit had been taken, but so had two outfits that belonged to the Doom Syndicate. This. Was. Bad! His eyes grew heavy and darkness finally took over.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em>To be continued...</em>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Well that didn't quite go to plan! What will happen now? Stay tuned to find out!<br/>If you're liking this story, give it a kudos and comment your thoughts on this story. I'd love to hear what you guys think.</p>
<p>Take care and I will see you soon :) xxx</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0020"><h2>20. Ace and Spades</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Hello everyone, and welcome back!</p>
<p>It's been a little while since my last post. I'm beginning to get a little bit busy with academic work as I'm nearing the end of my degree (yay!). But that means that I might be a bit slower with posting new chapters for this story, but I will do my absolute best to deliver my content to you as soon as I can :)</p>
<p>Anyway, enjoy the next chapter :) xxx</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <strong>Chapter 20 – Ace and Spades</strong>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Brilliant green eyes stared at the television with exhaustion as they watched the breaking news the morning after the fight at the Megamind Museum. The Defender of Metro City lay on the black leather couch as he held an ice pack to his giant blue head that pounded every second. Megamind had been given the all clear by the paramedics and was sent home to rest up. He was thankful that he only suffered a knock to the head and was winded from the fight – he considered himself lucky that Tighten didn’t attempt to destroy him for good. He swore that he was dead! He was just thankful that he could return home, live to see another day, and be in his wife’s embrace once again.</p>
<p>Roxanne sat next to him and stroked his hand in a comforting manner while she rubbed her growing belly with her other hand. Meanwhile, Wayne and Minion stood and stared at the TV with worry, and Vida was in the kitchen making everyone cups of tea. When Megamind was fighting Tighten, Wayne and Vida had kept Roxanne company and made sure that she was okay, as they kept her distracted with comedy movies and evening snacks. The nosy reporter was glad to have two close friends by her side during this difficult time in her life.</p>
<p><em>"Good morning, I’m Hamish Morrison.”</em> The new anchor began to speak on the television for KMCP 8 News. <em>“Tighten is back, and he is not alone: that is the message stated by the Chief of the Metro City Police, George Reagan. The convicted supervillain made his return last night when he recovered his super suit from the Megamind Museum, as well as two other suits that belonged to members of the Doom Syndicate. Shortly after the break-in at the museum, he then went on to break into Metro City Prison with two accomplices and helped the leader of the Doom Syndicate, Psycho Delic escape.”</em></p>
<p>The sound of pottery smashed on the floor, and everyone turned around and saw Vida stare at the TV with a frightened look. Her hands were trembling, and her breathing increased with anxiety. By her feet was a pool of tea and large pieces of pottery. “Vida!” Wayne rushed to her side and cupped her hands into his own as he looked at her attentively. She didn’t seem to hear Wayne and she didn’t dare take her eyes off the TV.</p>
<p>In the background of the TV was the broken entrance of Metro City Prison, and injured officers were being guided to ambulances. Megamind widened his green eyes as he saw the Warden holding onto a paramedic as he hobbled to an ambulance. He felt a tightening in his chest as he saw his father figure injured due to Tighten’s terror.</p>
<p>
  <em>"Anastasia Lewis is standing by live at the Metro City Prison. Now, Anastasia, you were at the Megamind Museum last night when Tighten made his attack. What details can you tell us about the result of that fight?”</em>
</p>
<p>Anastasia nodded her head as she listened closely to Hamish’s voice. <em>“Good morning, Hamish. Last night’s battle between Tighten and the Defender of Metro City and the police force was a long an epic battle. Megamind, Chief Reagan and his armed police guarded the museum, but Tighten proved that they were no match for his superhuman abilities.”</em> The footage of Megamind fighting Tighten outside of the museum began to play and showed that the blue hero had the advantage for a moment. <em>“Megamind and Tighten engaged in a high physical battle, and unfortunately our favourite blue hero failed to stop the supervillain, and has been injured from the fight however, he received minor injuries and is now recovering at home. Chief Reagan has stated that twenty-four officers were injured from the fight, sixteen of the twenty-four are receiving hospital care, and seven officers have been pronounced as deceased. Our thoughts go out to the families of those that lost their lives last night.”</em></p>
<p>
  <em>“Hmm, incredibly sad indeed. So, what exactly can you tell us about what Tighten took from the museum?”</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>“We know that Tighten had one goal, and that was to reclaim his own super suit. However, it came as a surprise that he also took Psycho Delic’s outfit as well as Lady Doppler’s, but did not take Hot Flash’s or the Destruction Worker’s. Now we must remember that Lady Doppler’s outfit that was in the museum is a replica outfit and not the real thing. And just to recap for those at home, Lady Doppler was a member of the Doom Syndicate that was strongly associated with Psycho Delic. When the Doom Syndicate were defeated six years ago, Lady Doppler had managed to escape Metro City and has not been seen since. Megamind remains confident that she will not return despite Psycho Delic now out of prison. However, Chief Reagan begs to differ and believes that the theft of the replica suit of Lady Doppler is symbolic that she will eventually return to Metro City and terrorise its citizens once again. The other two members of the Doom Syndicate, Hot Flash and the Destruction Worker, remain incarcerated in their respective maximum-security prisons. Since Psycho Delic’s prison break, we have been told that security around those prisons have increased dramatically.”</em>
</p>
<p>Vida’s breaths continued to increase, and she was on the verge of a panic attack, as memories of terror clouded her mind. Roxanne turned around and saw her best friend being comforted by the man once known as Metro Man. “Vida, calm down. It’ll be okay.” Wayne tried to ease her.</p>
<p>
  <em>“It sounds like we live in uncertain times, Anastasia. Now as we all know, Tighten broke Psycho Delic out of Metro City Prison last night. Are you able to give us details about the prison break, or who exactly were the two other accomplices with Tighten?”</em>
</p>
<p>Anastasia Lewis nodded her head again as she listened to every word. <em>“Police estimate that Tighten immediately headed for Metro City Prison after he took his super suit and the other two suits. CCTV caught Tighten single-handedly breaking in and defeating multiple prison guards before he reached Psycho Delic and freed him…” </em></p>
<p>The footage from the prison break began to play, and everyone’s eyes widened at the carnage being caused. Tighten whizzed into Metro City Prison like a high-speed missile and began attacking every prison guard on the premises. The footage then showed Tighten and Psycho Delic, who was dressed in an orange jumpsuit walking out of the prison doors together, while Tighten handed the latter his disco crazed clothes, purple hat, and cane. The purple skinned mutant was then greeted in the form of a secret handshake by two male figures, who shook his skeleton-like hand, followed with a series of finger hooking, fist bumps, high fives, low fives and concluded the greeting with a chest bump and the click of their fingers.</p>
<p><em>“Groovy!”</em> One of the accomplices said in a funky tone.</p>
<p><em>“Good to have you back, boss. We missed you.”</em> The other accomplice spoke.</p>
<p>The two accomplices shared the same purple skin, red eyes and skeleton-like features as their boss. They had spiked up hair and were dressed in black bell-bottom jeans and a purple and black striped shirt that exposed the top of their chests. Nested in between their shirts was a silver disco ball attached to a thick silver chain.</p>
<p><em>“I missed you, boys. Now it’s time to party like a plague!”</em> Psycho Delic spoke in his funky baritone voice. Tighten flew off into the sky, while Psycho Delic and his two goons disappeared in a cloud of purple smoke.</p>
<p>
  <em>“… The two accomplices with Tighten have since been identified as Psycho Delic’s two goons named Ace and Spades. The pair have also been identified as the ones who helped Tighten escape the Metro City Psychiatric Institute a few weeks ago…”</em>
</p>
<p>Roxanne gasped as she clutched onto her small belly protectively. “So that’s how Tighten got out! He’s been plotting with Psycho Delic this whole time!”</p>
<p>“I knew it!” Megamind said to himself in a whisper. Of course he knew it! He had a hunch that something was up the moment Tighten was transferred to the psychiatric ward. Memories of his visit to Metro City Prison flashed before his eyes. He saw Tighten’s smirk as the van doors closed on him, and he remembered the puzzling conversation that he had with Psycho Delic:</p>
<p>
  <em>“You know what my favourite cards in the deck are? Ace and Spades … When I’m out of here, we will party all night long! And next time, you won’t be crashing the party.”</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>“Think again...”</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>“Oh really? We shall see about that!”</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>“That’s bold of you to make threats when you’re in no position to.”</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>“That’s what you think.”</em>
</p>
<p>Of course! Megamind thought back on the conversation and realised that Psycho Delic was hinting at his eventual return with the help of Tighten and his two goons. He <em>was</em> in a position to make threats! He should have seen it! He should’ve seen all of it! Now Psycho Delic’s riddles made complete sense to him!</p>
<p>
  <em>“…It has been noted previously that Tighten kept Megamind’s six-year-old daughter close to his side, but last night’s events have concerned both Chief Reagan and Megamind himself as she was not present during this time. There are now growing fears for Gaia Ritchie’s wellbeing. Meanwhile, Chief Reagan warns every citizen of Metro City that these four men are dangerous and should not be approached whatsoever. This is Anastasia Lewis reporting live from the Metro City Prison, saddened by these sudden events, and anxious for the near future of Metro City.”</em>
</p>
<p>The TV went fuzzy and small sparks flew from it. Megamind groaned and cursed the TV as he slowly sat up, being cautious of his body aching. Vida’s breaths were becoming throaty, and tears were threatening to fall onto her rosy cheeks. Everyone could feel Vida’s anxiety in the room, and they all looked at her with great concern in their eyes. “Vida! Vida!” Wayne looked like he wanted to shout at her. “You need to calm down –“</p>
<p>“He, he, he’s back! Psycho Delic’s back!” She stammered with fear. “Oh god, he’s gonna come after me! He’s going to kidnap me again! Wha, what do I do! I need to hide; he can’t find me!” The TV continued to spark, and grey clouds were seen closing in on the city accompanied with thunder, lightning, and strong winds.</p>
<p>“Vida, you have to control yourself.” Megamind pleaded with her.</p>
<p>“No! No!”</p>
<p>“V, it’s going to be okay. Psycho Delic and his goons won’t get you.” Roxanne sat up and walked towards her best friend. She held out a hand to her friend as she closed in on her. “You have to trust us –“</p>
<p>“Don’t come near me! Don’t touch me!” Vida backed away.</p>
<p>Roxanne completely ignored her and continued to reach out. “Vida, please! Just let me … OW!”</p>
<p>“Roxanne!” Megamind breathed. Roxanne looked down at her right hand with shock and confusion, and then looked at her friend with a wide mouth.</p>
<p>Vida’s blue eyes widened with shock and she looked down at her own hands before she gazed back at her friend. “Roxanne, I –“</p>
<p>“What’s going on?” Roxanne murmured with a subtle hint of anger in her tone.</p>
<p>Vida looked back down at her hands and she began to shake with panic. “I’m sorry! I need to leave!”</p>
<p>Wayne harshly grabbed onto Vida’s forearms and made her look into his blue eyes. He stared deep into her eyes. “Vida. You must calm down.” It looked like Vida was melting under his gaze and she began to relax. “Calm. Down.” He spoke slowly. “Calm. Down.” Vida’s eyes grew heavy and her shaking stopped. “You’re going to be fine, my sunshine.” Roxanne kept her gaze on her best friend as she relaxed. The nosy reporter remembered that Wayne didn’t just have powers like super strength and invulnerability, but he also had calming powers that were almost hypnotic.</p>
<p>Vida nodded her head absent-minded as she gazed back at her friends who looked at her with shock and confusion. “I’m going to be fine.” She repeated her boyfriend’s words.</p>
<p>“Good.” Wayne whispered as he let go of her. “Get in my car, I’ll drive you to work.” Everyone watched as Vida calmly walked into the direction of Wayne’s white Mercedes.</p>
<p>“Phew! I thought I was gonna have to use the Forget-Me-Stick for a second.”</p>
<p>“Well, I’m glad you didn’t have to, Minion.” Megamind said.</p>
<p>“Roxie, are you alright?” Wayne asked concerned.</p>
<p>“I’m fine, just confused.” She said honestly. “What is going on with her, Wayne!?”</p>
<p>Wayne closed his eyes and shook his head in a defeated manner. “I can’t say, I’m sorry.”</p>
<p>“Tell me!”</p>
<p>“Roxie, she’s terrified. Let her be.”</p>
<p>Roxanne picked up the TV remote and threw it harshly at Wayne’s face, which simply bounced off him. “She is my best friend, Wayne! I deserve to know the truth!” When Wayne didn’t answer her, she looked at her husband and his fantastic fish friend for answers. “Minion!?” The fish’s brown eyes looked at his friend awkwardly. “Megamind!” Roxanne gritted her teeth as she eyed him up. The blue hero rounded his shoulders and looked at his wife with sad green eyes. “Why won’t any of you tell me!?” She shook her head in disbelief and gritted her teeth. “Fine! If none of you will tell me, then I’ll find out myself!” She stormed out of the living room.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>XXX</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Storm clouds circled the whole of Metro City in the late afternoon, and Vida McCleod sat her desk and stared idly at the blank wall ahead of her, while she tapped her pen on a notepad. For the first few hours of being at school she remained quite anxious, but when Jodie Whelan pointed out her behaviour, Vida shook off her worries and buried herself in schoolwork all day. Her work and her students came first; her anxiety about Psycho Delic’s return had to take a back seat for now.</p>
<p>Vida reflected on her day and was glad that she was distracted by her work. In the morning, she addressed the whole elementary school during assembly time. In her speech to the schoolchildren, she briefly talked about the safety of the school, and assured everyone that the school would be safe and would be patrolled by security guards outside of the school gates.</p>
<p>Once assembly time was over, Vida had to deal with a few rowdy students that were causing trouble in class. One of those students was a certain Sadie Howard, who was brought to the principal’s office to be disciplined as she picked on another little girl. It seemed that Sadie’s attentions shifted elsewhere since Gaia had disappeared, and she had found another poor girl to bully. Once again, Vida told Sadie off and punished her with three after-school detentions. Once she had dealt with her students, Vida buried herself in paperwork and barely took a break, except for morning tea and lunchtimes.</p>
<p>When she returned from her breaks, she had received multiple texts from Wayne asking if she was okay, and that he was thinking of her. Vida smiled lovingly at the texts and replied to him, telling Wayne that she was okay and that she can’t wait to see him later on. But Vida’s face dropped when she saw six missed calls and voicemails from Roxanne; Vida McCleod didn’t have a good feeling about those voicemails. She reluctantly listened to the voicemails, and once she heard Roxanne’s tone, she immediately regretted listening to them:</p>
<p><em>“Vida it’s me. Please call me back when you get this message. I really want to talk to you about what happened this morning.”</em> Vida listened to the next four voicemails, and they gradually became more aggressive. The last message scared Vida to death. <em>"V</em><em>ida McCleod! Pick up your god damn phone now! You and I have things to talk about! You must tell me what’s going on with you. What did Psycho Delic and the Doom Syndicate do to you? What happened to you in Boston? I’m reading old newspapers that say you got caught in a storm when you were studying there –“</em></p>
<p>Vida hung up the phone in anger and banged it against her desk. She put her head into her hands and felt like she wanted to cry.<em> ‘She’s getting close to the truth!’</em> She thought to herself.</p>
<p>A knock was heard at the door, and a startled Vida sat up straight at her desk, bringing her back to the present moment. She smoothed her platinum blonde hair with her hands and brushed down her brown jacket and skirt to make herself more presentable. “Come in.” Her tone was wobbly. “Oh, Jodie, it’s just you.” Vida smiled nervously as the middle-aged schoolteacher walked into the office.</p>
<p>“Are you alright, Vida? You look a little bit pale.” Jodie murmured with concern.</p>
<p>“I-I’m fine, Jodie, really. It’s just been a really strange day.” She brushed her off.</p>
<p>Jodie hummed in agreement. “It’s a been strange day for all of us. Listen, I’m going to head home now. Do you need a ride?”</p>
<p>Vida glanced at her watch and saw that the time was nearly 4:30pm. “Oh, Jodie thank you, but I have to stay back for a little bit and sort out this paperwork. I’ll call Wayne to come and get me when I’m done.”</p>
<p>“Okay, have a good night, Vida. I’ll see you tomorrow morning.”</p>
<p>“Goodnight, Jodie.” Vida shuffled her paperwork around as Jodie Whelan shut the door behind her.</p>
<p>Two hours had passed by, and Vida was exhausted. She looked outside of her window and saw that the night sky was darker than usual due to the dark storm clouds that hovered over the city. They had hovered over the city all day and yet, a speck of rain did not fall. It was strange. She shook her head and cleared her desk. She readied her handbag and held the keys to the school in her hand. She exited her office and locked it up securely. Vida walked down the corridor and as she did, her high heels clicked on the polished floor of the corridor. She whipped out her phone and dialled Wayne’s phone number and waited for him to answer.</p>
<p>
  <em>“Hello?”</em>
</p>
<p>“Hey, Wayne, it’s me.”</p>
<p>
  <em>“You’re late, aren’t you?”</em>
</p>
<p>“I had so much paperwork to complete today, it was a nightmare. I would’ve called you earlier to let you know, but I’ve been knee deep in work.” Vida commented.</p>
<p>
  <em>“It’s okay. You must have had a lot to do if you only finished now. Do you need me to come and pick you up?”</em>
</p>
<p>“Yes please.”</p>
<p><em>“Okay, I’ll be there in fifteen minutes.”</em> Wayne said cheerily.</p>
<p>“Okay, I’ll see you soon. I love you, Wayne.”</p>
<p>
  <em>“I love you too, my sunshine.”</em>
</p>
<p>“Okay, bye.”</p>
<p>Vida exited the school building and locked the doors behind her. She turned around and felt the cool night breeze brush against her cheeks and make her high ponytail fly about in the breeze. She carefully descended the steps and walked towards the large school gates to lock them up. She noted that the security guards had all gone home by now.</p>
<p>As she closed the large and heavy metal gates, they creaked loudly until they clicked together. She wrapped the large chain around the gates and looked at the padlock. She reached for her set of keys and fumbled around trying to find the right one. Once she had secured the padlock on the gate, she placed the keys back into her bag and began walking.</p>
<p>The moment she lifted her head to face the illuminated street, she almost yelped as she saw two figures standing close to her. “Oh my god!” She laughed nervously before her face became serious again. “Can I help you gentlemen?” She asked.</p>
<p>“Miss McCleod?” One of the men asked as he held a cigarette in his hand.</p>
<p>Vida’s mouth dropped open with confusion. “Yes.” She shook her head trying to understand what was going on. “I’m sorry, who are you two?”</p>
<p>The two men looked at each other briefly. “We didn’t mean to startle you, Miss McCleod.”</p>
<p>“Where are our manners?” A voice with a southern accent spoke. “My name is Kevin Blackmore, and this is my partner Jack Eddison.” Kevin gestured to Jack who inhaled his cigarette and kept his hazel eyes fixed on Vida. “I’m surprised that you don’t remember us. We are very <em>colourful</em> characters that are hard to forget.”</p>
<p>Vida felt something odd about these two men. Her gut was telling her that something wasn’t right about them. To hide her concern from them, she put on a façade of pleasantness and smiled at the men. “I don’t know you, I’m sorry. You might have me confused with someone else.”</p>
<p>Jack Eddison flicked his cigarette and inhaled smoke again. He took a step towards Vida, and the school principal immediately took a step back. Her façade dropped immediately. “Oh no, we’re talking to the right person. You’re Miss Vida McCleod; the 38-year-old principal of Metro City Elementary with a secret that you’re hiding from everyone, including your best friend, Ms Roxanne Ritchie.” Vida’s blue eyes widened with fear. “We know about your little secret.”</p>
<p>“How do you know about –“</p>
<p>“We know everything about you, my lady.” Kevin Blackmore spoke as he approached Vida. “And so does our boss.”</p>
<p>“Speaking of, he wants words with you.” Jack Eddison smirked.</p>
<p>“Who are you? Stay away from me! Don’t you dare touch me!” Vida backed herself into the school gate and held out an arm defensively. Her eyes darkened as she spread her fingers apart.</p>
<p>Kevin and Jack looked at one another and smirked. They turned their gaze back on a terrified Vida, and she swore that she saw both of their eyes glow red momentarily. Purple smoke surrounded Kevin Blackmore and Vida began to panic. The smoke quickly diffused to reveal a man with purple skin, red eyes, and skeleton-like features smirk at her evilly. “The name is Ace.”</p>
<p>Vida gasped as purple smoke surrounded Jack Eddison and he transformed into a purple mutant with the same features as his counterpart. “And Spades.”</p>
<p>Vida opened her mouth to scream as loud as she could, but nothing projected from her throat, as the mutant named Spades blew purple smoke into her face. Vida’s vision went black and the last thing she saw was Ace and Spades smirking at her evilly.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em>To be continued...</em>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>OH NOOO. Vida's been kidnapped! The plot thickens even more!</p>
<p>Stay tuned to find out what happens to poor Vida, and if our favourite blue hero can eventually save the day!</p>
<p>If you're liking this story, be sure to give it a kudos and a comment. I'd love to hear your thoughts on this story, or any theories or predictions that you might have.</p>
<p>Take care, and I will be back soon :) xxx</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0021"><h2>21. Deception</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>OH MY GOD! It has been sooooo long since I last published a chapter!!! Welcome back everyone, it's good to be here!<br/>I do apologize for being absent for as long as I was. I had a heap of assignments that were due in one go and they were super tough to complete. Hopefully within the next week, I'll be able to get the following chapter written and published for you to enjoy.<br/>Meanwhile, this story has received 30 kudos and has over 400 hits! Thank you to each and every one of you, you guys are amazing :)</p>
<p>Anyway here's the next chapter of Little Blue! This one has a little bit of action and kicks up a few gears, and Gaia finally comes to her senses...<br/>Enjoy :) xxx</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <strong>Chapter 21 – Deception</strong>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Sparrows sat outside of the window of the small apartment and chirped a sweet morning song. Gaia Andromeda Ritchie’s green eyes blinked open and the morning sun shined in her face, making her turn over and stretch out her little body.</p>
<p>“Hey, Gaia! You’re awake! I hope you’re hungry, I’ve cooked you some bacon and eggs.” Gaia saw her superhero friend dressed in a white t-shirt and blue jeans as he plated up her breakfast on the dining table.</p>
<p>Gaia jumped out of bed and dashed towards the dining table with a smile spread across her face. The breakfast had been cooked perfectly and the smell enchanted Gaia’s nostrils. “Thanks, Hal… ugh I mean, Tighten.” She corrected herself as she keenly tucked into her food.</p>
<p>“You’re welcome.” Tighten smiled.</p>
<p>Once Gaia had finished her breakfast, she had a quick shower, brushed her brunette hair, and dressed herself in her flowery pink dress and pink converse shoes and put on her holo-watch. Gaia exited the bathroom and saw Tighten washing up the dishes in the kitchen. The little girl began to wring her fingers nervously and looked over to the TV. “Tighten?”</p>
<p>“Yes, Gaia?” He kept his focus on the dishes.</p>
<p>“Can, can I watch the TV?” She asked sheepishly.</p>
<p>Tighten sighed and glared at the little girl. “You know you can’t, Gaia. People are on the TV saying bad things about us, and I don’t want you getting upset.”</p>
<p>“Please? My favourite TV shows are on at this time.” She practically begged him.</p>
<p>“Gaia –“</p>
<p>“Please? Pretty please?” Gaia ran up to Tighten and gestured her hands in a praying manner.</p>
<p>Tighten looked into her brilliant green eyes that were wide with hope. He smiled at her and his body relaxed; he could not resist her cute little face when she looked at him with innocent puppy dog eyes. After all, she was still a child. “Go on then. Just this once.” He tipped his head in the direction of where the TV was.</p>
<p>“Yes!” Gaia jumped up and down on the spot and ran towards the TV and switched it on. She grabbed the remote and flicked on the channel that she wanted to watch. She keenly sat on the floor with her legs crossed and happily watched <em>‘Phineas and Ferb’</em>. Gaia remained consumed by the TV show while Tighten finished cleaning up in the kitchen.</p>
<p>An episode of <em>‘Phineas and Ferb’</em> later, Gaia heard Tighten’s mobile phone ring, and she turned around and saw Tighten answer the call. “Hello?” She watched a smirk creep up on his face. “Hey, boys. What news you ... really?” His tone perked up with interest. Tighten turned around and looked at Gaia, who immediately turned back to the TV and started to watch and episode of <em>‘Spongebob Squarepants’.</em> “Boys, I can’t talk much while she’s here … give me a second. Gaia?” Tighten called her, and the little girl whipped her head around and looked at her friend. “I’m just gonna take this phone call outside, okay. And remember, don’t change the channel.” Gaia nodded her head and watched as Tighten picked up an orange piece of clothing and dashed out of the door, leaving it wide open.</p>
<p>Gaia continued to watch the <em>‘Spongebob Squarepants’</em> episode, and once it finished, Gaia decided to play around with the TV remote and switched the channels, despite Tighten telling her not to. The channels she switched to ranged from documentary channels to comedy channels. Her thumb hovered over the ‘8’ button momentarily and she hesitated to press it. She was tempted to change the channel to KMCP 8 News but remembered Tighten’s warnings about the news being filled with lies about him and her. Something deep within her was telling, no, commanding her to press the button. Besides, how bad could the news be? What could be the worst possible thing that she would see? She turned her head around to make sure that Tighten wasn’t in the room, and then faced the TV screen again. A small smirk appeared on her face and she pressed the channel 8 button and watched as her mother appeared on the television live with a microphone in her hand. Roxanne’s eyes were red, and her usual happy demeanour was replaced with sadness. Not even her white shirt and sunny yellow jacket helped brighten up her appearance for the cameras.</p>
<p>“Mommy!” Gaia sat up straight and concentrated on the TV.</p>
<p><em>"… That was Roxanne Ritchie live at Metro City Elementary School.”</em> The news anchor said, as the camera focused on him in the studio. <em>“For those of you just joining us, we have breaking news that the Principal of Metro City Elementary School, Miss Vida McCleod has been kidnapped outside of the Metro City Elementary School gates last night…”</em></p>
<p>“What!?” Gaia was shocked.</p>
<p>
  <em>“The 38-year-old was kidnapped at 6:40pm last night by two men named Kevin Blackmore and Jack Eddison, who have since been identified as Psycho Delic’s two goons, Ace and Spades. Both men were two of the finest lawyers in Metro City and represented Tighten in court a year ago to claim the supervillain as criminally insane. Some of the following footage may be distressing for some viewers.”</em>
</p>
<p>Gaia’s eyes were glued to the TV as she saw her Aunty Vida being confronted by the two lawyers. She watched as Vida tried to defend herself with a hand outstretched, but failed once Ace and Spades revealed their true forms and knocked her out. The mutant named Ace scooped Vida into his arms and the two goons disappeared in a cloud of purple smoke with Vida in their grasp. The only thing that was left behind was Vida’s handbag. “Aunty Vida! Why did they do this to you?” She wondered out loud. Gaia put her hands on the sides of the TV and her eyes widened with vulnerability. She felt like she wanted to cry from what she had seen.</p>
<p>The television focused back on the news anchor. <em>“Meanwhile, Tighten and Psycho Delic remain at large and are considered a great threat to the city and its citizens. Two nights ago, Tighten broke into the Megamind Museum and took, not only his suit, but Pyscho Delic’s and the replica suit of Lady Doppler. Tighten then went on to attack Metro City Prison and free Psycho Delic. The supervillain was accompanied by Ace and Spades during this time.”</em> Gaia watched as the footage showed Tighten in his super suit breaking into Metro City Prison and freeing the purple skinned mutant with Ace and Spades greeting their master.</p>
<p>Gaia stood up onto her feet quickly. Her mouth gaped open with absolute shock and her breath hitched in her throat. “Oh my god!” It finally hit her! Tighten had tricked her! She had made a terrible mistake! “What have I done!?”</p>
<p>“Oh no. What <em>have</em> you done, Gaia?” A sarcastic tone made Gaia jump out of her skin. She slowly turned around and saw Tighten in his super suit standing in a staunch manner. His brown eyes were full of darkness and a widening smile spread across his face. He terrified Gaia, and her breaths were shaky. “You never should have changed the channel.”</p>
<p>“Is it true? Are you working with Psycho Delic and his goons?” Tighten’s widening smile only confirmed her words. “I can’t believe you!” She looked at him with disbelief.</p>
<p>“I’ve got to admit that using you wasn’t part of our grand plan, but I saw the opportunities it presented. When I found out who you really were, and you told me that your parents didn’t love you anymore, I knew that I could turn you against them – turn you against Megamind. I showed you only what I wanted you to see, I told you only what I wanted you to hear. When you told me that you believed me, I knew that I had you: I had gained your trust.”</p>
<p>“No!” Gaia barely whispered.</p>
<p>“I didn’t even ask for you to get my powers back for me; you happily volunteered, and boy, I tried so hard to hide my pleasure from you. When you got my powers back, I knew that you would do anything for me. You were on my side and I had turned you against Megamind. I had turned you into a villain, just like me.”</p>
<p>Gaia shook her head in denial, and she sincerely hoped that this was a bad dream. “No! No! You’re supposed to be the hero! That’s why I helped you!”</p>
<p>“Being a hero is for losers! Being a villain is so much more fun!”</p>
<p>“You tricked me!” She pointed a blue index finger at him angrily.</p>
<p>“Yes, and you hung on every word that I said. You should’ve listened to your daddy and never trusted me. You might be a genius for your age, but you’re an incredibly stupid little girl.” Tighten smirked at her.</p>
<p>Gaia looked at Tighten with sad eyes that had tears forming in them. His words cut like a knife, and she had never felt so insulted in her life. “I-I thought we were friends.” Her voice was wobbly.</p>
<p>Tighten’s smile continued to grow and he took a few steps forward. “The <em>very best</em> of friends.” Gaia’s eyes darted around the room looking for an escape. “Now Psycho Delic and I will finally destroy Megamind and take over Metro City.” He sighed happily before he spoke again. “Thank you for everything, Gaia. I’ll always remember what you did for me.”</p>
<p>Tighten continued to approach the little girl, and Gaia gasped with fear as she watched his eyes glow red at her. She looked around the room and saw her de-gun nearby. She quickly grabbed it and used the ‘dehydrate’ setting and shot Tighten. “Your little gun won’t work on me.” Tighten spoke as he soaked up the dehydration energy like a sponge.</p>
<p>The little blue girl began to panic, and she ran into the bathroom and locked the door. She braced herself against the door and looked at the small window in the bathroom. If she reached up high enough, she could squeeze through it. She opened the window and jumped up to reach it. “You can run, Gaia, but you can’t hide!” Tighten's sickly sweet voice made Gaia even more scared and she wiggled herself out of the window and landed on the outside stairs with a thump.</p>
<p>Gaia had to get away, and fast! She got onto her feet and began descending the multiple levels of stairs. She kept looking above herself to make sure that Tighten wasn’t on her tail. Part of her found it odd that Tighten wasn’t chasing her and that he showed little resistance towards her when she dashed towards the bathroom. Was he giving her a head start? Was he teasing her? Was he giving her a sense of false hope? Whatever the case, Gaia didn’t like it and she continued to descend down the side stairs as fast as her little legs allowed her.</p>
<p>Once Gaia had made it to the ground, she ran along the quiet street with tears running down her blue cheeks. Behind her, a brick wall exploded, and car alarms began to echo in the street. “Oh Gaia! Where are you?” Tighten shouted in a sickening playful manner. His torturous calling was scaring the little blue girl and she began to cry out loud as she sprinted away from him.</p>
<p>“Help me! Somebody please help me!” She yelled at the top of her lungs. <em>‘I never should’ve disabled my communicator and tracker in my watch! I never should have left home! I wish this never happened! I want Mommy! I want Daddy!’</em> She thought to herself, as she turned a few corners to try and hide from Tighten. Gaia kept on looking behind herself to check if Tighten was hot on her tail. She then felt herself collide into someone tall who wore soft fabrics. “Please!” Gaia roughly tugged on the person’s suit jacket. “You have to help me! Please!” The person’s head slowly turned around, and Gaia almost screamed as she saw the person’s eyes glow red and an evil grin spread across their face.</p>
<p>“Are you lost, little girl?” The man had a southern accent.</p>
<p>Gaia felt a small breeze blow behind her, and a sinister voice spoke. “I think she is, Ace.” Gaia spun around and saw a normal looking man who sported the same red eyes and had purple smoke that was diffusing around him. Gaia screamed and ran away from the scary looking men with tears in her eyes.</p>
<p>Two intense minutes had passed, and Gaia felt that her throat was as dry as the Sahara Desert, and she was struggling to breathe. Adrenaline coursed through her veins and her body told her to keep on running. She had to get away from Tighten and those two strange men and try to get home. She could run, but could she truly hide? Gaia twisted her holo-watch and she transformed into Sadie Howard as she entered a lower-class district of the city. She made a dash into a quiet street that was lined with several dull-looking apartments. She looked behind herself to make sure that Tighten or the two strange men weren’t hot on her trail.</p>
<p>“Oof!” Gaia harshly collided into someone who was about that same height as her, and both beings spun around in mid-air before they hit the ground with a groan. Gaia felt the back of her head pound and her back felt sore. She stood up quickly and stared at the other person with fear. Green eyes gazed into brown ones, and Gaia saw the real Sadie Howard staring back at her. Naturally, Sadie was scared and confused as she looked at the mirror image of herself, and her eyes darted from side to side as she stared at the disguised Gaia. It was if time had stood still, as Gaia continued to stare at Sadie.</p>
<p>“Mom! There’s someone here who looks like me!” Sadie shouted.</p>
<p>“Oh, Gaia! Where are you?” Behind Sadie in the distance was Tighten flying in the sky and Gaia began to panic.</p>
<p>“Gaia!?” Sadie looked at her ‘mirror image’ with confusion. “Is that you?” Gaia turned around and sprinted down the quiet street to get away without answering Sadie.</p>
<p>Gaia managed to turn a few more corners, and up ahead she heard the bustling financial district filled with the sounds of heavy traffic, cars beeping and people talking. Her little legs continued to run towards the noise, and she finally saw large crowds of people walking along the street and waiting at sets of traffic lights as they waited to cross the road. <em>‘Perhaps I can hide!’</em> Gaia had an idea! She was confident that she might be able to blend in with the crowd, but she needed another disguise for her plan to work. She analysed the crowd and looked for the perfect person to use. From a distance, she set her holo-watch to scan mode and began to scan a woman in her early thirties with black hair in a bun who wore a tight fitting electric blue dress and black wedged heals. Gaia wasted no time and activated her new disguise and merged into the crowd. She nervously stood with the crowd as they waited for the pedestrian crossing to turn green. Gaia felt like she was standing there forever as she waited. Her heart was pounding in her chest and she tried to steady her breathing. The beeping of the pedestrian crossing echoed throughout the street and the crowd moved fluidly as if they were a school of fish swimming in sync with each other. Gaia kept her head down as she walked with the crowd.</p>
<p>She then felt a small electric shock on her left wrist and stopped dead in her tracks. She looked down and was terrified as small sparks erupted from the holo-watch. “No, no, no! Come on! I just fixed this thing!” She banged her watch with her fist in a feeble attempt to stop it from malfunctioning. A blue light omitted around Megamind’s daughter and her true form was revealed to the public around her. This was the worst timing ever! <em>‘Stupid, stupid watch!’</em></p>
<p>She lifted her head and saw everyone stop and stare at her as they gasped in shock. “Oh my god!” A man spoke with surprise.</p>
<p>“You have to help me, please!” Gaia blurted out without thinking.</p>
<p>“There you are, Gaia!” Tighten’s voice boomed over the financial district, and the little girl saw the supervillain flying high above everyone.</p>
<p>People surrounding Gaia turned around and spotted Tighten in the air. “It’s Tighten!”</p>
<p>“Everyone run!” A random citizen yelled, and the crowd around Gaia split up in different directions as they screamed in terror. Gaia tried her best to run with the largest group of people as they ran across the street. She looked behind herself and saw Tighten whizz through the air like a missile and headed straight towards her. Her breaths became throaty as she ran for her life with a group of citizens. Tighten directed his laser beams at the crowd that had Gaia in it, and everyone screamed with fear and ran faster.</p>
<p>When the crowd had reached a main intersection, they split off into several small groups and left Gaia on her own. Tighten laughed out loud as he had weeded her out from everyone. “I’ve got you now, kid!” Gaia turned around as saw Tighten reach out both of his orange gloved hands as he flew towards her. Gaia looked ahead and tried to find a quick escape wherever she could. She saw multiple alleyways and knew that she had an excellent opportunity to try and get away.</p>
<p>Tighten lunged at the little blue girl with a grunt but completely missed her as she side-stepped into a small alleyway. Gaia heard the supervillain growl in frustration and didn’t dare look behind herself again. She continued to look around her environment and was constantly on the lookout for another place to run to. Steam vents seemed to litter the alleyway, and the smell that stemmed from them reminded Gaia of the sewers she had ventured through a few days ago.</p>
<p>Gaia squealed loudly and skidded in her tracks as she watched a man with purple skin and red eyes suddenly emerge from a steam vent in a supernatural manner. <em>‘How is that possible!?’</em> They laughed menacingly and posed in a threatening manner with their hands stretched out. Gaia tried to get her balance and ran into a small section of the alleyway with tears in her eyes.</p>
<p>“Ha!” Another man identical to the first one emerged from another set of steam vents and smiled at Gaia evilly as she skidded and almost tripped over herself.</p>
<p>Gaia turned another corner and ran as fast as she could, but her stomach dropped as she had run into a dead end. She looked at her surroundings and saw that there was no escape! She had nowhere to run! She turned around to try and get out, but the purple mutants had blocked her only way out and skulked towards her with smiles plastered over their faces. Panic began to possess Gaia and she slowly backed away, never taking her gaze off them. Her panic continued to increase, as she saw Tighten flying towards her and gracefully plant his feet on the ground, and stand a few metres away from the two men Gaia recognised as Ace and Spades.</p>
<p>“Stay away!” Gaia whipped out her de-gun and pointed it at the three men who stalked closer to her. She didn’t know who to point the gun at and swung her aim from left to right constantly. “Stop!” She commanded with fear, but her words fell on deaf ears as the three villains crept ever closer to her. Gaia’s finger on the trigger began to wobble, and just before she pulled the trigger, Tighten had used his laser beams and knocked the weapon out of her little hands. “No!” She began to back away slowly, and she wanted to scream for help. She was terrified! What were they going to do to her? Were they going to kill her? Was this the end for her? God, she wished that her daddy was here to save her! She wished that she could see him one last time.</p>
<p>Gaia then felt her back bump into someone. She gasped and held her breath in fear. Her hands instinctively touched what was behind her, and she could feel faux fur on a long jacket. Gaia slowly turned around and saw a slim figure lurking in the shadows of the alleyway standing side-on while they partially leaned on a cane and had their brimmed hat tipped. They turned their head, and Gaia’s mouth opened with dread as she gazed at a man with skeleton-like features whose pearly white teeth were revealed through their wicked smile. She immediately backed away and watched the figure emerge from the darkness to reveal themselves as the one and only Psycho Delic.</p>
<p>He stretched out his arm to her, which made her go cross eyed. “Hello, Little Mind.”  He opened his white gloved hand and purple smoke surrounded Gaia’s face.</p>
<p>“No … ugh…” She felt her body grow weak and her vision went black.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>XXX</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Night had fallen and two of the most prolific reporters of Metro City were working hard on the city’s latest developments at the news station. “We should be getting closer now!” Anastasia Lewis spoke as she hung another clue on a piece of string. Roxanne put a finger to her chin while she was deep in thought. She looked at the clues dangling in the air as she tried to find the answer amongst them.</p>
<p>For hours, Roxanne and Anastasia had been piling evidence together and tried to find a common link. They had collected evidence that consisted of photographs and stilled video images of the recent events that had occurred around Metro City – everything from Gaia stealing the Defuser Gun to Vida’s kidnapping. They also had images of Tighten, Gaia, Psycho Delic, and Ace and Spades, or Roxanne had once known them, Kevin Blackmore and Jack Eddison. It scared the nosy reporter that she had met the two goons when she had been asked to identify Tighten. She figured that they must have been keeping an eye on his movements to make sure that he wouldn’t be found by the wrong people. It wouldn’t have surprised her if they were the ones responsible for damaging her father’s CCTV technology the day of Tighten’s escape. After all, they were the ones that helped Tighten escape the psychiatric ward that fateful night.</p>
<p>Anastasia stepped back and stood by Roxanne as she analysed the evidence. “What are they up to? What’s their plan?”</p>
<p>Roxanne looked over to the separate pieces evidence that concerned Vida. She had done some serious digging on her best friend to try and figure out what she was hiding from her. During her investigation, Roxanne had found old newspapers from Boston dating back eighteen years ago that mentioned Vida surviving a lightning storm that had struck her three times in a row. The journalist who had wrote the article called it a miracle that the twenty-year-old university student had survived such an incident and was lucky to be alive, but despite her luck, her arms were scarred for life from the lightning strikes. That somewhat explained to Roxanne why she always wore long sleeved outfits and never exposed her arms, but it didn’t explain to her why Vida would hardly let anyone get close to her, except Wayne. And when someone did get close to her, why would they experience a strange sensation from her? Something strange was going on with Vida, and things got even more strange for Roxanne when Psycho Delic’s goons kidnapped her. This wasn’t the first time Vida had been taken by Psycho Delic, and this second time was no coincidence. What did they want with Vida? Was she Psycho Delic’s designated damsel in distress, much like Roxanne had been Megamind’s? Did the supervillain have some sort of strange romantic obsession with her? Was she a pawn used to try and lure Megamind out, knowing that she was close with him?</p>
<p>“Okay, let’s just take a breather and recap on everything that we know.” Anastasia began to walk back and forth in the office. “We’ve found out that Kevin Blackmore and Jack Eddison are Pyscho Delic’s two goons named Ace and Spades –“</p>
<p>“Ace and Spades were Tighten’s lawyers that legally got him out of Metro City Prison on the grounds of insanity, who then broke him out from the psychiatric ward, so we know that Tighten and Psycho Delic are working together.”</p>
<p>“Tighten then found Gaia the very same night that he escaped. He took her, and they have been hiding somewhere in the city ever since –“</p>
<p>Roxanne walked up to the evidence hanging from pieces of strings and put the evidence in a more coordinated fashion. “Tighten then tasked Gaia to sneak into Megamind’s Lair to retrieve the Defuser Gun so he could get his powers back. Three days later, Gaia and Tighten break into my father’s business and steals thousands of dollars of technology –“</p>
<p>“The trail goes cold for a few days until Tighten breaks into the Megamind Museum on his own and retrieves his suit as well as Psycho Delic’s and Lady Doppler’s replica outfit –“</p>
<p>“Tighten breaks out Psycho Delic from Metro City Prison the same night, and the next day Vida is kidnapped by Ace and Spades.” Both women put their hands on their hips and let out a loud sigh. “There’s gotta be something that connects all of this together, Ana.”</p>
<p>“What are we missing, Roxanne? What are we not seeing?” Anastasia wondered as she touched the evidence in front of her. “There’s got to be a missing link somewhere!”</p>
<p>Roxanne narrowed her eyes as she closely analysed the evidence in front of her. Something was telling her that there was something that they had overlooked or not even taken into consideration. She then looked back at the evidence concerning Vida. “Maybe <em>she’s</em> the missing link.”</p>
<p>“What?” Anastasia looked confused at her colleague.</p>
<p>“What if Vida is the missing link? Maybe she’s the last piece of this puzzle!” Roxanne chirped up then clicked her fingers. “Ana, put everything about Vida with the other stuff!” She told her.</p>
<p>Anastasia Lewis quickly moved the information about Vida and placed it with the information about the supervillains and Gaia. Once she had finished, Anastasia stood next to Roxanne and stared at the evidence once again. Both of the reporters tried to analyse the evidence but still couldn’t find their answer. “We’re so close, I can feel it!” Roxanne sighed with defeat as she placed a stray lock of brunette hair behind her ear.</p>
<p>“I hate to say this, Roxie, but I think that we should take a step back from all of this and call it a night.”</p>
<p>Roxanne closed her eyes and looked out of the window and saw the city lights glowing amongst the night. She looked at her reflection in the window and saw Anastasia looking at her with soft eyes. Roxanne’s blue eyes looked at the reflection of the evidence and she swore that she saw something. “Wait a minute!” Roxanne swivelled on her heels and stared hard. She backed up until her back was against the glass windows. “Ana, come here!” She gestured to her colleague. Anastasia quickly stood beside Roxanne and the two reporters stared at the evidence. They watched as the evidence dangled from the strings and began to form a picture. This was it! This was their answer, and it had been staring them in the face this whole time! The evidence formed an image of a square object with a strange figure with long blonde hair and lifeless white eyes dressed in a blue and orange suit hovering in front of the square object, while they struck a pose with their hands held up to the sky.</p>
<p>“No way…” Anastasia trailed off.</p>
<p>“That’s not possible!” Roxanne whispered with disbelief. Now everything made sense!</p>
<p>“That wasn’t a replica suit that Tighten stole from the museum that night. That was the real thing!”</p>
<p>“Vida, she’s…”</p>
<p>The two reporters slowly turned their head to one another and looked at each other with absolute shock before they spoke simultaneously. “Lady Doppler!”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em>To be continued...</em>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Dun dun dun! Finally the truth is out! What will happen now that Roxanne knows about Vida? And what has happened to poor little Gaia?<br/>Stay tuned to find out what happens to Megamind's little girl, and if he can save her and Vida.</p>
<p>If you're liking this story, be sure to give it a kudos and a comment. I'd love to hear what your guys think of this story. Take care, and I'll be back as soon as I can :) xxx</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
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